Piecing It Together Again
by preciouslilpitches
Summary: When the Hamato clan suffers an incredible loss, they must find a way to maneuver through their lives together... before their adversaries tear them apart again.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

Donatello woke to his T-Phone buzzing. He nuzzled his face into the soft pillow, wishing for five more minutes. He pulled the blanket up to his chin, sighing loudly. _These blankets are softer than normal_ , he thought. His eyes popped open when he remembered. Next to him, April lay on her stomach, sun streaming in through the blinds of her dorm room, making lines on her bare back. He gulped and pulled the blanket over her, then placed a warm kiss on her head. She shifted in her sleep and he slipped out from underneath the covers, grabbing the phone off the nightstand. When he looked at the screen, Michelangelo's icon popped up. _They're gonna kill me. I'm late again…_ He let it go to voicemail, when he noticed all three of his brothers had called him, multiple times. He dialed his brother's number. It was answered after one ring.

"Mikey, I'm sorry I'm late-"

"DONNIE! Thank _God_! You have to come down now! There's- Master Splinter- he's-" a crashing sound could be heard from the background, along with Leonardo shouting.

"Woah, woah, Mikey, slow down! What's happening?" He was already slipping his sweats on, trying not to wake her.

"He said- he said he wasn't feeling well. He _cancelled_ training for the day. He went to go lay down. After awhile, he came out and he-he said he thought something was wrong." Donnie pulled the window open and started crawling out, when suddenly the door swung open and her roommate walked in. _She was supposed to be gone all weekend!_ He froze, crouched on the fire escape, phone in hand. He had no idea what to do. He could hear Mikey on the other line, yelling his name into the phone. Frantic, he thought of something to do, and his arm reflexively shot up. He held a finger to his lips and whispered. "Shh!" Emily -was that her name?- gaped at him, her bags fell to the ground, and he glanced over to see April lift her head. _Shitshitshitshitshit_! She sat up, pulling the covers over her, looking at him, then her roommate, and her face flamed.

"Who-who is…?" she asked, but Donatello was already gone.

"Emily, are you okay?" April asked.

"Someone was in the window! For _real_ this time!"

"I think you're seeing things again…"

Donnie couldn't recall a time he ran faster. It seemed that time itself was slowing more and more as he weaved his way through the tunnels of the sewers, cursing the disguise. He often wondered how humans could possibly navigate in clothing. He found it fascinating that Casey could fight with all that gear and actually hold his own most of the time. But what mattered right now was getting to the lair. He kept Michelangelo on the phone, wanting updates every few minutes.

"Mikey, tell me again," he gasped. "How all this started?"

"He said he wasn't feeling well. He went to lie down, but he came back out, and he said he thought something was wrong- _Oh, God_!"

"Mikey?!"

"Just get here!"

 _Click_.

"Almost. There." He could see the turnstiles from there, barreling toward the lair. He thought he heard something- Foot Bots? _What the hell are they doing here?!_ He snuck up to the entrance, noting that there were six of them. Leonardo and Raphael kept them busy, slicing and stabbing through the metal effortlessly. He lept over the turnstiles then, attention turning to him. He looked just in time to see one racing toward him on the right and he sent a strong kick into it's stomach. It reeled back, but came at him again. He quickly calculated and spun it into a headlock, where he yanked it's head in the wrong direction and pulled, separating it from the body.

"Donnie! Where have y-"

"Doesn't matter! Where is he?!"

Leo pointed, toward the lab and Donnie burst through the door. Mikey was with him. One arm wrapped around his shoulders, the other holding a bucket. They didn't see him come in and he made his way over. He stepped in something warm and sticky, and looked down disgustedly to find it was not vomit that slid off of his foot.

It was blood.

"Mikey? Master Splinter?" His brother spun around, but his father's eyes lazily rolled to meet his. _He was right_. _Something is_ very _wrong_. Just then, their rat master heaved into the bucket, a steady stream of red flowing from his mouth. Donatello choked back tears, bile rising in his throat.

"Donnie?! What's happening?!" Mikey asked. "Wh-why is he doing this?!"

"I don't know yet. How long has he been vomiting blood?"

"Since I last talked to you. That's when the Foot Bots showed up. They came out of _nowhere_ , bro! It was like… Like they just waltzed out of the dojo!" Donatello frowned in concentration, checking their father's pulse.

"So he complained of a headache?"

"At first, yeah… After he had his morning tea and we were warming up, that's what he said. And then he came out later and said something was wrong. He passed out. He came to after about ten minutes and then he… Started..." Tears welled up in Mikey's eyes and he sniffed. Donatello put a large hand on his shoulder.

"He's gonna be fine. We'll figure this out."

"Promise?" Mikey asked. A pang of despair rolled through him when he realized he may not be able to fix this. Mikey's eyes lit up with hope, but he couldn't bring himself to say yes. He smiled half-heartedly in return, nodded, and began inspecting their father. He pretended not to see his little brother's face fall.

"Donatello," Splinter croaked.

"It's going to be alright, _Sensei_ -"

"The… Tea… Foot…" His eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped into Mikey's arms. He laid him down on his, starting to clean up his blood-soaked fur.

"What's that supposed to _mean_?!" Donnie whispered angrily. Leonardo and Raphael walked in, both covered in a shimmery layer of sweat. The purple-masked brother made his way around the desk, taking note of everything he could. All the while, he pondered what his father was trying to say. Tea? The Foot? How did they find them? Where could they have snuck in? He had sensors set up for miles down the tunnels and had an entire security system in place. If it detected something, it would have alerted all of their phones _and_ set off an alarm. He could hear Leonardo asking questions, but promptly ignored them. Their father groaned in his sleep, head rolling to one side. The fur around his mouth was stained red and foamy. Donnie reached out and opened Splinter's mouth to inspect it. He used a flashlight to peer back into his throat, where he saw burn-like sores. He gasped when suddenly it all clicked into place. _After he had his morning tea_ … _That's when the Foot showed up. It's like they just waltzed out of the dojo!_

"DONNIE! I'm trying to-"

"Not now, Leo. I-I think…" He trailed off, practically running to the dojo, into Master Splinter's room. He picked up the ceramic cup and sniffed. Something was off. He always drank green tea in the morning, but there was something different about it. He scraped the rim of it with his finger, and sure enough, a powder-like substance coated it. "No," he whispered. He ran back into the lab, holding their _Sensei_ 's death sentence.

"Donnie, what's-"

"He's been poisoned!"

April sighed when Donnie's phone went to voicemail once again.

"C'mon, babe. Answer your phone," she whispered to herself, beginning to type away at her laptop, deciding to start early on a project that was due the following week. She pretended not to see Emily walk in and her cheeks burned red. She didn't mind occasionally telling her roommate that she was crazy for seeing a giant turtle on the fire escape, but it was starting to happen way too often. This time, it wasn't _her_ fault. She was extra careful, sure to only have him over when she knew she'd be gone all weekend. But _she_ came back early. April couldn't help but feel a little irritated with her. All she wanted to do was have a nice, romantic weekend with her boyfriend (who she only gets to see on weekends and in visits the damn _sewers_ ) and Emily had to come back and ruin it all, walking in on her, naked in bed. She stopped herself from smacking her palm against her forehead. _How fucking embarrassing._ She knew he'd feel too exposed to come up again any time soon. He would try to talk to her about "safety" and the importance of him not being caught. He wouldn't want to risk it again. And, while she saw the severity of those things being compromised, she missed him. A lot.

"Hey, um, April?" She looked up from behind her reading glasses, tilting her laptop screen down.

"Yeah, Emily?"

"I… Wanted to… Talk to you about something…" April raised her eyebrows. She felt something like fear, and maybe… Anger? She tried not to purposefully use her powers for petty things like this but she could tell that there was something bothering her. She closed her laptop and smiled, waiting for her to continue. "I… Well, my friend, she… Her roommate moved out. And… She wanted me to, uh… Take her place, if you will…"

April nodded, narrowing her eyes at Emily.

"I, uh… Said yes. I said I would. I already talked to the housing office about it and they're going to let me… I just didn't want there to be, ya know… Hard feelings. I just… We have the same major and everything and we can help each other and-"

"Oh, no. It's fine. Totally okay." She tried not to smile too big.

"Okay… But, um… I'm moving out today… That's why I came back early… My boyfriend's gonna help, and she'll be around. So if you, I dunno. I just wanted to give you a heads up, I didn't know if you needed to study or anything."

"Oh, yeah, I… Actually, I was gonna go hang out with some friends today, anyway. Are you sure you don't need my help?"

"Yeah! It was, uh… Nice rooming with you." She smiled and awkwardly shook April's hand, then walked over to the corner, putting things in boxes. Immediately, she got up and gathered a bag. She would go down to the lair today, to study. She hadn't seen the guys in forever. And she could see her Dad, too. The thought made her smile. She was starting to feel a little too cramped in there anyway.

The crisp, early March air sent a shiver down her back as she pulled on a giant sweater and some boots. It was only a twenty minute subway ride to get to the closest entrance by her father's apartment. She dialed his number when she boarded the train.

"April?"

"Hey, Dad! How are you?"

"I'm doing alright. Is everything okay?"

"Yes, I… Actually I wanted to see if I could stop over today? My roommate is moving out and needs some space, so I figured I might as well come see you. And then I was gonna stop by and see the guys…"

"Oh, honey… I'm actually working tonight. Remember how I told you about that therapy that I started going to? Well, they helped me get a job at the library around the corner. I work until close. Would you stay over night? I can see you tomorrow." She couldn't help but feel a little sad. She really did want to see him. He sounded so happy. He sounded better.

"Oh, okay then… Um, I might stay. I'm not sure yet. I'll let you know before ten o' clock."

"Alright dear, well I'm walking in right now. I gotta go. Love you bunches!"

"Love you too, Dad… Have fun at work!" She grinned to herself at the sound of him chuckling on the other line.

When she rounded the corner from her Dad's apartment, she checked and double-checked before she dropped into the sewers. The smell hit her harder than she expected. After awhile, she got used to it again. The walk was longer than she remembered, and she felt relief when she saw the turnstiles. She walked through them to find Raph, Mikey and Leo all in the living room, looking dejected. She felt something from them and her gut sank when she realized something was wrong. Her arrival didn't even register with them until she said something.

"Guys? What's going on? Where's-"

"April?!" Mikey asked, running to hug her. "Oh, April…" He sobbed into her shoulder then, and she looked to Leo. He cleared his throat.

"Um… Master Splinter. He…" Her heart sank. She gulped.

"Is he…?"

"No… They- The Foot. They somehow snuck in…" She watched him blink away tears. He shook his head and walked away. She wanted to reach for him, but he was halfway across the lair already, pausing at the door of the lab.

"Raph? What…?" Mikey still sniffled into her shoulder, and she glanced toward the lab, where no doubt, Donnie and Splinter were.

"They _poisoned_ him, April. He just… He wouldn't stop vomiting… All that blood… Fuckin' _bastards_!" Raph looked down at the floor, his jaw clenching.

"Oh, God… Oh… _God_." She pulled Mikey deeper into her embrace and tears welled up in her eyes. They heard the door of the lab creak and glanced to see Donatello creep out slowly, shoulders slumped in defeat. His head hung low and her heart thudded in her ears. Leo practically toppled over, trying to get information out of him.

"What's happening? Aren't you supposed to be working on him? What's wrong? Can we see him? I need to see him." Don closed his eyes and put a hand on Leo's shoulder. April gulped, a knot forming in her gut.

"Leo… I just came out to say that he's not doing well right now. It's… Not looking great." It was then that April saw the blood splattered on his hands and plastron. "He has severe damage to his stomach and digestive system. I fear… The only way to fix the damage is to… Do surgery." Leo took a step back and she watched the air huff out of him, as if Don had just insulted Space Heroes.

"Then, do the surgery. It's simple. Fix this," he demanded. April looked back and forth between the brothers, wishing she could hold Donnie. He looked so broken.

"It's not that simple. A surgery in this environment is already risky enough. He could get an infection. As well as that, we don't have the supplies to perform one. The surgery itself would kill him." He sighed. He didn't want to have to explain to them that their father was dying; and there was absolutely nothing he could do.

"Well, what are our options?" Leo asked.

"I could try to flush it out. But that could result in permanent damage. It may hurt him more than help him."

"What else?"

"I could do the surgery, and try to repair it, like I said. But it would open him up for infection, as well as the fact that I would only have a slight medical understanding of how to do it. And we don't have _any_ equipment to make it safe for him. Simply cutting him open could kill him. Make him bleed out." Mikey pulled out of April's embrace and squeezed her hand, before walking over to Raph, who stood with his arms crossed over his plastron, tears welling. He wiped them away angrily and Mikey offered a hand on his shoulder, but he flinched away from the gesture. Leo stood, arms dangling at his sides, looking absolutely helpless.

"What else?"

Donatello glanced at her, and she felt her gut twist. She almost felt sick. Tears stung her eyes and she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, trying to look strong for him. But she knew.

"We wait."

The room fell silent.

"No," Leo whispered. Almost inaudible.

"Listen, guys… I talked to Master Splinter about it, and-"

"No!" he shouted.

"Leo, please-"

"NO! _Do_ something about this, Donatello! You're supposed to be the genius! Figure something out!" Donnie looked at his hands and then at Leo.

"You-you can come see him. All of you. If you'd like. But he's… Out of it. He's in a lot of pain." Leo pushed past him immediately, knocking his shoulder into Donatello's. She watched his browridge pinch together. Raph and Mikey followed. April walked up to him and planted a soft kiss on his cheek before they entered together. From what she could see, Splinter looked off. Almost small. Frail. His kimono was stained red, a brighter shade, as was the fur around his mouth. His eyes glazed over, but he still managed to smile slightly at the sight of his sons. Her heart thudded in her chest when she got closer.

She could feel it.

His peace. His resignation. But also the twinge of fear beneath it all. He knew he was going to die. They all did.

He tried to speak and Leo removed his oxygen mask.

"My sons," he croaked. "I want you to know, that no matter w-what, I-" he was cut off by a coughing fit, and their hands instinctively went to his aid. She crossed the room, to him, and his eyes found her. She offered a comforting touch to his arm and he reached to squeeze her hand. He was weak and his hand shook. "My family… I love you." Mikey sniffed and wiped his nose.

"We love you, too," he whispered. Splinter leaned his head back against the pillow and smiled, closing his eyes. She gasped at the happiness that emanated from him. Contentment. She looked over to find Donatello gathering some objects together on his desk. A bowl, incense, rice… What could all that be- _Oh…_ When she looked closer, his hands tremored. _Oh, Donnie_ … She left Splinter's side, to go to his. She reached for his hands, and he froze.

"Donnie," she whispered. He looked at her, his big brown eyes barely seeing. They were blank with fear. With grief. Finally, he nodded and walked away. A piece of paper caught her eye. It was blank, except for a single line at the top. In Donatello's scratchy, small lettering it read: _Last Will and Testament_.

The lair was eerily quiet that night as Splinter drifted in and out of consciousness. Leonardo sat by his side, unmoving. Raphael hit relentlessly at the punching bag. When April tried to get him to stop, he ignored her. She could see the blood soaking through the bandages on his knuckles. Michelangelo lay on the couch, crying until he had finally tired himself out. He lightly snored, and April pulled a blanket over him. She turned at the sound of Donnie exiting the lab, slowly shutting the door. He looked at his feet, and the two met halfway. She looked up at him questioningly, and he shook his head. Relief washed through her.

"He's asleep. Like you should be," Donnie whispered, then glanced over to Raph, who grunted loudly as he kicked the bag so hard, the chain rattled.

"I can't sleep… And I already tried… He wouldn't budge."

He sighed defeatedly.

She gripped his arm, and he grabbed her shoulder with one giant hand.

"April, I-" he stopped himself, closing his eyes. His throat worked and she saw his other hand clench into a fist.

"C'mon," she whispered, leading him to his room. He tried to fight it at first, looking over his shoulder at his brothers. Muttering excuses about things he needed to tidy up. Things he needed to do. He gave up as they walked through the entrance. The door clicked shut and he turned to her, eyes swimming with tears. She cupped his face with her hand, and he leaned into the touch. His tears spilled over, staining his mask a dark purple.

"Donnie-"

"I-I couldn't…" he gulped. "... Save him, I-" His breath caught in his throat when a ragged sob escaped his lips. "He's… I couldn't…" His knees gave out then, and he slumped to the floor. Violently his shoulders shook, as it all surged up in him. Strangled cries erupted from deep within his chest and she dropped to her knees, too. With a hand, she tilted his face to her, but he turned away, collapsing into her shoulder. Her lip trembled as she stroked his head.

"I c-couldn't s-save him," he hiccuped.

"Shh, it's okay. You did everything that you could."

"I couldn't save him," he said again.

Raphael stopped in his tracks when the muffled sounds of sobbing could be heard through the lair. He listened closer to find it coming from Donnie's room. Between the wails, he heard April's attempts to soothe him. All of the oxygen hissed out of him at once. He shook his head, and made one last attempt at punching his anger out, before it was all too much. He plopped onto the floor hard, panting. His knuckles ached, stung, but he merely stared forward, allowing the tears to flow freely. He unwrapped his shaking hands and sucked in a sharp breath when the fabric over his right hand clung to a knuckle that had split open.

"Let me get that," he heard someone say. He looked up and found Michelangelo smiling halfheartedly down at him, eyes puffy and bloodshot. He wrapped a warm hand around Raph's arm and helped him up, heading toward the lab. He realized, suddenly, what was in there- _who_ was in there and he felt his lungs start to ache. He dug his heels into the floor, and the turtle in orange stopped to meet his eyes with a concerned gaze.

"All the supplies are in there. It's the only way to-"

"I can't." Raphael pulled his arm out of his brother's grasp. "I can't." Mikey sighed.

"Okay, bro. I'll grab it." Raph blinked back tears, wishing he could be strong enough to walk back in. To quit being a damn baby. But when he went to follow Mikey, he got a glimpse of the floor. The blood that surrounded the place where their father lay, dying. Leo turned and saw him, and he flinched away from the door.

He was gasping for air now, clutching his chest and neck. The more he tried, the harder it was to suck in any oxygen. His blood rushed behind his ears in time with his speeding heart. Sweat seeped out of his pores and a rush of pain spread over his heart, his lungs. His shell hit the wall and he slid down it, pulling his knees to his chest. _No I can't die. Not now. Not like this,_ he thought, somewhere distantly. He shook his head back and forth, wanting it all to be some sick joke. The muffled voice of his brother could be heard to his right. He saw Donnie come into view and time seemed to slow as he felt hands on him. He was shouting something, and though he watched his brother's lips move, he panicked when he couldn't understand it. To his left, Mikey came into view and he also tried to say something. Did he hear the words "panic attack"? Something about hyperventilating? Black spots started to patch their way across his vision, the concerned faces of his brother's the last thing he saw before the lack of oxygen got to him, making his consciousness slip away.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

The next morning, Mikey woke up early, to make breakfast. He smiled slightly when he walked out to see Donatello and April huddled together on the couch, legs tangled and blanket strewn over them. He put the kettle on and started on some eggs. He noted that they were getting low and they'd need Casey to get them some- _oh crap. He doesn't know._ He made a decision to call him as soon as everyone had gotten their food. When the eggs were all cooked, exactly everyone's favorites, he made toast and got out some fruit.

Leo still refused to eat, even after almost two days, but he made him something anyway. Not once had he left Splinter's side, except to go to the bathroom. And even those trips were sparse. Donatello said it could be any time now, but their father was always a strong warrior. He was always a fighter. Part of him wondered if Leo was willing him to stay alive. If his presence and his hovering kept Splinter rooted to them. Another part of him wished by some miracle that their father would heal. That his condition would be cured overnight. That Donnie could come up with some sort of science-y serum to reverse the effects of the horrific poison coursing through Splinter. He shook his head, whisking his reeling mind away. When all the dishes were set out, he crept over to the couch.

"Donnie. April. Breakfast is ready," he whispered. His brother's eyes shot open. Fear coated his features in a thick layer.

"Is he-"

"No. Breakfast is ready." Donatello sighed heavily. He looked down at April, who had her arms thrown over his plastron. He ran a hand over her hair.

"April. Breakfast is ready."

"Hrm?" She muttered, nuzzling her face into him. He smiled at her beauty, still awe-struck by it, until he remembered his father. That Splinter was dying in the other room, while he slept. While he admired her. Guilt washed over him and he patted her back.

"Time to get up, love," he whispered. She pinched her brow and squinted as she opened her eyes, and smiled up at him. She sat up and stretched, joints popping. April got to her feet. She yawned as she took his hand and helped him up. He stretched as well, feeling a twinge in his shoulder. He massaged it as he walked to the coffee machine. He barely noticed himself going through the motions with the grounds and the water, until it sputtered to life just as Michelangelo and Raphael entered. He took note of his red-masked brother, seeing that he had, in fact, improved since last night. Some rest did him some good, and the swelling in his knuckles seemed to go down.

"Morning," he said, plopping into the chair next to April. She smiled and put a hand softly on his. He dug his fork into his eggs and grimaced at the counter. Donnie felt relief wash through him when the pot filled, and he poured himself a mug of the dark liquid. He deeply inhaled the scent before taking a sip, despite it being scalding hot. Mikey ate his food in silence, staring at the plate that would be Leo's. Raphael cleared his throat.

"Listen, I… Wanted to thank you. All of you. For last night…" They all stopped.

"Raph, it wasn't your fault-" Donnie started.

"I know. I know, I just… I'm thankful that you guys were there to, ya know, help me." April grabbed his shoulder and his lip trembled as he took another bite of food. Mikey walked up to him and embraced him, and Raph returned the hug. The youngest brother kissed his head and patted it, before starting toward Leo's plate.

"I'll take it to him," Donnie said. Mikey looked up at him gratefully. He picked up the plate and glass of orange juice and walked to his lab. He ran through everything in his head, all of the preparations, just in case. When he slid open the door, Leo slowly turned and Donnie almost gasped at how different he looked. Tears stung, but he blinked them away. Leonardo's eyes were sunken in, dark circles apparent. His color had drained of any brightness. His face was ashen. Further than that, they were glazed over. Recognition did not cross his features until Donnie put a hand on his shoulder.

"Leo, I brought you some breakfast. You really need to-"

"I don't want it." His voice was raspy and thick, dense. It was as if every part of Leo was locked into that spot, holding their father's hand.

"But-"

"I _said_ I don't _want_ it."

Donatello sighed.

"Okay, I'll, uh, leave it over here. Just in case." He set the dishes down and gulped. "H-how is he?" The look Leo gave him sent a shiver down his spine.

"How do you _think_ he is?!" He hissed.

"Leo-"

"He's been sleeping for the past two hours. He hasn't thrown up in over four. The oxygen seems to be helping." Donnie nodded and took Splinter's other hand in his. Instinctively, he felt the pulse. It was weak, but it was there. His father's chest rose and fell slowly. He looked peaceful.

"I'll, um… Leave now. If you need anything…" He placed a hand on Leo's shoulder and felt him stiffen. His hand flinched away and he exited the room silently. Leonardo stared at their father, watching as his eyes fluttered open. They searched the room and fell over him.

"Leonardo," he whispered. He thought he may have imagined it. But he took a ragged breath and continued. "I must speak to each of you. Alone." He coughed and Leo pulled the rag off of his lap, wiping Splinter's face. His frail hand clutched the folded envelope with a letter for each of the family members. Even _her_. Donatello helped him write them. After he had finished, he asked politely to be excused and never came back. Not until he had to grab some medicine for Raph. He quietly grunted in his focused stupor that he was having a panic attack before dashing out of the room. It wasn't before Leo had seen the stained paths on his face where tears had slid down his cheeks. A sinister part of him felt pleasure in knowing Donatello was guilty. He shoved it away, to the dark recesses of his mind that crept closer and closer.

"But-"

" _Please_ ," he huffed. The leader merely nodded once and stood. His knees gave out beneath him and he realized how exhausted he really was. Maybe he _would_ grab that glass of orange juice. "Send Donatello in first." Leonardo felt a pang of fear as he left his father's side, praying to whatever was out there that they could all be with him when it was time. He slipped out quietly, and saw everyone waiting.

"He wants to speak to everyone. Individually. He asked for your first, Donnie." He had been holding April's hand, but dropped it, looking around desperately as if there were another "Donnie" in the room that he was confused for. He straightened and nodded at Leo before disappearing into the lab.

They waited a good twenty minutes before he came out, letter in hand, despair rolling off of him like water on rocks. He plopped on the couch with a thud.

"He wants to see Raph next," he said, monotonously. April looked at him and squeezed his hand. He took a deep breath through his nose and opened the door. When the door slid shut, April crossed the room to Donnie. He looked at the paper in his hands, deep in thought. When she sat next to him, he seemed unfazed. She touched a hand to his thigh and he lifted his arm. She fit perfectly in the space, his arm draping over her, cupping her body to his. With a big sigh, she put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She wanted to mute it all. All the feelings. All the pain. She hadn't yet been able to meditate for long periods of time, but she found that in Donnie's presence, she was relaxed enough to slip into that state. Her breathing evened out and she felt her chest rise and fall with his. Even his heartbeat that droned next to her matched. _Finally, some peace and quiet_ , she thought. A sudden whisk of anger from somewhere brought her barreling back into reality and she saw Leonardo standing before them. His eyes were dark and his face pale.

"April! He wants to see you now." She glanced at Donnie, who nodded and she got up. Raphael was pummeling the punching bag again and Mikey was waiting patiently for his turn. Her heart thudded in her chest when she opened the door and walked into the lab. Splinter sat up with the help of some pillows and missing couch cushions, waiting, smiling through his pain. She noticed the oxygen mask was now gone and she gulped. She had read something in a medical book once about a common occurrence among dying patients, a 'surge'. After a steady decline, patients often have a day or two of clarity; a sudden wave of awareness and activity, before suddenly declining again. She knew what would happen next. A bloody rag lay folded beside him and she felt that nothing else mattered in that moment. Not that she hadn't called Kirby. Not that Casey didn't know. Not that she would be getting dangerously behind in classes. Not that she was scared. What mattered was Splinter's dying wish for her.

"April," he stated, offering a shaky hand. She took it and sat.

"Master Splinter-"

"Please, just Splinter." She smiled when he did, not wanting him to see how the sadness was going to engulf her soon. How it was all catching up to her.

" _Splinter_ ," she corrected.

"There is a saying, in Japan," he started. " _Koketsu ni irazunba koji wo ezu_. It roughly translates to-to…" He began coughing then and she scrambled for the cloth, helping him wipe off his hand and mouth. "Thank you… As I was saying, it means 'nothing ventured, nothing gained'." She looked up at him curiously, and he continued. "I want you to know that you will be faced with many adversities. More than you already have. And you will be forced to make decisions. Difficult ones. You will be put in situations with unanticipated outcomes. But remember this: You are strong, April. One of the strongest souls I have ever had the pleasure of encountering in this lifetime. And though it may seem that you cannot go on- that you can't make that decision or deal with that situation, you will learn nothing by giving up. Do you understand?" She nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat and squeezed his hand. She felt so much love in that moment. It was as if it flowed through him, seeping through her skin at his touch. Her gut twisted and she saw tears gather in his eyes. She tried swallowing the lump in her throat, but it remained there, making it harder to breathe. He reached a shaky hand beside him and brought forth a letter. "This is for you." He began coughing again, harder than before. She heard his chest wheeze as he spit up blood. She grabbed the cloth again and helped lift his head to wipe him off. He winced when she set him back down softly. She stood, pressing her head to his chest and laying her arms over him. He relaxed and she felt his hand brush her briefly before the act was too much and his elbow gave out. His chest rose faster, after simply lifting his arm. She didn't want to think about that.

"I love you," she whispered. "Thank you. For everything."

He smiled.

"And I love you, my _kunoichi_."

All of the memories rushed to her, as she lay a hand on his cheek. The first time they met. All the fights, all the pep talks, all the late nights, the hugs, battling injuries, all the cheese-cicles. A tear slid down her cheek and when she pulled away he gasped and his eyes went wide.

"How-how did you do that?" he asked. He had seen it all. Everything through her eyes. Felt her admiration, her love, her respect, her panic at the thought of losing him. He blinked back tears.

"Do what?"

He looked at her curiously and smiled weakly.

"Nevermind that now… Would you please send Michelangelo in?"

She nodded and began to walk away, hesitant to let go of his hand. When she slid the door open, letter in hand, Mikey was standing outside the door, lip quivering already.

"Your turn, bud." She planted a kiss on his forehead and he took a shaky breath before sliding the door shut. Raphael was still hitting the punching bag. His body moved in jerky motions. Though thought out carefully, they were harsh and emotionally driven. She searched the room for Leonardo, but he was nowhere to be found. Donatello sat on the couch, head hung in slumber. She noticed a little bit of drool in the corner of his mouth.

"Raph, where did Leo go?"

"I dunno," he grunted. "Said he was 'going out'."

"I'm gonna go look for him… I have my T-Phone. Let me know if…"

He stopped.

"I will."

She headed towards the turnstiles, when she heard a sharp cry come from somewhere in the tunnels. Before she knew it, she had a hand on her tessen, and was leaping into the sewers.

"Karai," Leo said. "Master Splinter… He was… Poisoned. By The Foot. I thought you should know. It could, um, be any time now. You probably won't hear this, but I guess I just…" He trailed off, squeezing the T-Phone in his hand. He clenched his jaw and his hands fell slack against his crossed legs. Slowly, he brought the phone back to his lips and hesitated, before whispering into it. "I wish you were here." His eyes went wide with panic and he quickly ended the call, embarrassed. He should be able to do this without her. He'd spent all that time discovering his strength in her absence. When he stood, he unsheathed a single katana, thrusting it wildly through the air. His body ached from a long period of stillness. He pushed through it, sweat forming on his upper lip. He heaved all his frustration, all his anger into his form. Into his movements. He imagined her in front of him. Anticipating every one of his moves. Even the rash, split-decisions. He thought of her wide hips, swaying so gracefully. The way her lip curled up when he finally was able to land a blow. He pictured her drenched in sweat, like she used to when they trained endlessly in the dojo. Distractedly, he lost his footing, not realizing he had reached the end of the shaft. A cry of surprise escaped from him as he fell backwards, watching as blackness was surrounding him. In a panic, he attempted to thrust his katana through the metal that jutted out into the oblivion, but the blade instead slipped on the moss and gunk, slicing through the meat of his shoulder. He yelped in pain and planted his arms against the edge. It dug harshly into his armpits and he gritted his teeth, trying to pull himself up. His T-Phone was near, but too far from his reach. He stretched his uninjured arm to it's limit, so much so his muscles quivered. His hand grazed the edge of it, making it slide further away and he cursed. He imagined getting a lecture from Raph about leaving at a time like this. One from Donatello about taking proper precautions when going out into the tunnels. Then, he thought of Splinter.

His father, his _Sensei_ , was going to die. He would no longer be apart of their lives. Apart of this earth. There was no more he could teach them. Because his life was taken, stolen from a lowly coward, who never failed to shake in his armor when Hamato Yoshi challenged him. Who sat in his throne, while Leonardo's father lay in the lab, slowly and painfully losing his life. Vomiting blood as his insides were singed by the poison that his _minions_ administered.

He tried to get up again, but couldn't. His arms were starting to get tired, his breath was speeding up. He could feel himself slipping. _You could do it, you know_ , a voice said. _Just let go. It will be all over. It's simple._ He laughed bitterly, before tears stung his eyes. His injured arm gave out, and he slipped once again, barely catching himself with his hand.

 _There's nothing wrong with giving up_ , the voice spoke again. _It's honorable, really._

"No," he spat.

 _No more pain. No more suffering. It can all end now._

He gasped in disbelief when he realized the voice was right.

 _You won't be able to get yourself back up anyway._

He looked down into the chasm below, unable to see the end.

His hand loosened.

 _I love you, Sensei. My brothers._

He closed his eyes and let go, the sensation of falling springing fear back into him and he immediately regretted it. He flailed and yelled, when suddenly a hand latched onto his.

"LEO!"

The air returned to his lungs and all his adrenaline stopped cold. Could it be her? Why was she here? How did she find him? He looked back down below and up at his saviour. She pulled him up with a great strength. They flopped into the shaft, chests heaving and he was surprised to see red hair.

"Ap-April, I… Thank you."

Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at him.

"What… What were you _thinking_?! Leo, I-" she cut herself off. Her voice softened. "I'm glad I got here in time." He looked over at her guiltily. She didn't have to ask. She knew. His face burned.

"I was… I was just trying to get some air. I was suffocating in there." She leaned against the wall of the shaft, and grabbed his T-Phone. She handed it to him lazily, all the adrenaline and strength gone from her. He closed his eyes and checked the phone, but there was nothing. As he expected, but still he hoped she'd at least _hear_ the message about her father. He tried reaching for his katana, but winced when the torn flesh of his shoulder stretched. April was to his side, inspecting it, when Leo's T-Phone buzzed. He stiffened and gulped, checking it again. A string of numbers he didn't recognize were the source. His heart sped up. He clicked on the message, only to sigh in defeat. It was from some company, saying the phone had been disconnected.

" _Damnitt_ ," he hissed.

April looked at him. He tried not to notice.

"Is that-"

"None of your business? Yes." Her brow furrowed, and she stood, offering him a hand. He took it, and he slowly got up, really feeling the pain now that the adrenaline was gone. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and cleared her throat awkwardly. She kept a hand on her tessen which jutted out of her back pocket. While they walked, neither of them said a word. Leo was starting to get agitated with the silence when he finally spotted the entrance to the lair. He sped up, anxious to get in and see his father. She stayed behind. When he went towards the lab, barely noticing Donnie call his name, Michelangelo's faint sobs could be heard through the door. He sighed. _Damn_ the Foot. _Damn_ Oroku Saki. _Damn_ Karai. He sat angrily, waiting. His long, lanky brother came over to him and he looked up.

"What the hell happened to you?"

"Nothing. I'm fine."

"Um, you're bleeding. Bad. From a gash on your shoulder."

Leo looked down and saw a steady stream still flowing down his arm and side.

"I slipped. I would've- if April wasn't there…" Donnie's browridge pinched together and he looked over at her, who turned to them at the mention of her name. "Thank you," he said. She nodded once and walked away, deep in thought.

"Once Mikey gets out of there, I'll-"

The door opened. They looked up to see their little brother with a tear stained mask and red, puffy eyes. His breath hiccuped and he held his letter in his hand. The other wiped his face, and he moved past them, to his room and they heard his door click shut. They went in and Leo watched Splinter. He relaxed a bit more now, leaning further into the pillow and crossing his hands over his diaphragm. Donnie cleaned and patched the wound in no time, wrapping it for good measure and giving him a sling. Leo knew it was unnecessary, but it would keep Donnie busy, so he let him. When everyone else had settled into somewhat relaxation, he sat next to their father and sighed.

"I'm… So sorry," he whispered. He did not hear him. He watched as his father's chest rose and fell raggedly, even the intake of oxygen a daunting task for him. He knew that his father was fighting to stay alive. At least for a little while. But, he was in great pain. Constant pain. He spoke to him again. "I tried to contact her… With no luck. But she's still out there. Somewhere. I'll find her. I _promise_."

Splinter drifted in and out of consciousness all night, waking only to retch and moan nonsense in Japanese. He switched between carefully watching him to cleaning up blood. He was getting tired, but he needed to push through. He knew that much. Relaxing could come later. This was his job now. At some point, Leo noticed that all of his brothers made themselves comfortable around their father, watching him intensely as well. They made sure that everyone helped. Took shifts, ten minutes at a time. By the next morning, early, he still drew breath. April came in for the fifth time, carrying a wallet and wearing her jacket.

"I'm going to run up to the corner store really quick. Get some groceries. I have my T-Phone. I'll only be a few minutes, I promise." She smiled at them weakly and walked over to peck Donnie on the cheek. She gave each of them a pat, before taking hold of Splinter's hand. What she felt made her sick to her stomach. Her heart lurched in her chest.

He was giving up.

Parts of him were disintegrating.

She felt him cling to things- things she couldn't really translate or see, but she did know one thing:

He was going.

She kept her face composed as she brushed a kiss on his hand before laying it down by his side. She rushed out of there as quickly as she ever had, and was at the corner in no time. She must have looked at her list one hundred times before she actually got everything. She was too distracted. She had walked down the produce aisle at least four times before she found the bananas. The ink from the paper started to stain her skin from the dampness of the sweat that came from her shaking hands. When she was sure everything on the list was checked off, she got in line. The place was unusually busy, and she tapped her foot impatiently. The woman in front of her paid a ten dollar purchase almost entirely in quarters, counting them in fours. Then, something went wrong with the register, and the cashier had to bring the manager out to fix it. She couldn't hide her exasperation anymore, sighing loudly and glancing at her watch repeatedly. It was finally her turn, and she set the items down when suddenly, everything shifted. Her atmosphere pulled in wrong directions, making her uncomfortable. She felt a change in the air and she almost dropped the carton of orange juice.

Her phone buzzed.

"No," she whispered.

The cashier gave her a dirty look and she threw the money on the counter. She put the bags in her backpack and sped towards the exit. Across the street, she spotted the manhole cover and started running. Her phone buzzed again. Panic began to set in and she wondered if it was her own panic, or-or… She gasped for air and tears stung her eyes. She was running out of time. She felt pressure on her from all sides, pushing in on her, intimidating her to go faster, and images of him filled her head. The more she pictured him, the further away he felt. It was like he was water and all she had to gather him up was her hands. He was slipping out of them.

"No, _please_ ," she begged, her body carrying her through the winding tunnels faster than she had ever gone.

Her phone buzzed again.

She lept over the turnstiles and was almost to the doorway of the lab when something in her snapped.

All the air that she had taken in rushed out of her at once, and her heart stopped.

She clutched her chest as she sprinted to the doorway.

A wail of agony pierced the silence and she knew it was too late.

When she ran in, panting, sweating, she saw Mikey throw himself onto their father, sobbing violently into the Hamato crest of his robe. Her chest ached and she sunk to the floor.

"Please, _God_ , no," she heard herself say. It felt distant. Disconnected.

When she looked up, Donatello pulled his little brother away, wrapping his long arms almost completely around him. His own shoulders shook as he tried to keep him upright. His legs were jelly beneath him and he threatened to topple over at any time. Raphael fell onto the floor, arms resting on his knees, and he buried his face in his hands. Leonardo stood beside him, stoic, as tears trailed slowly down his cheeks. She made herself get up. Forced her limbs to move and she walked over to him. His face had settled into a peaceful look, and he wore a hint of a smile. She grabbed his hand again, and felt nothing. Nothing. No one. His spirit had left it's vessel. Everything caught up with her, in that moment. Her lip quivered and she sat in the chair, staring at him. What once was her teacher, friend, _family_ , was now gone. Everything they knew about him was cast into oblivion. Ragged sobs escaped through her clenched teeth and all of her grief, her anger, her guilt, bubbled up inside her. Before she knew it, she was hit by a train of emotion, head on. Her head pounded and she screamed, clutching it. A burst of light emitted from her and she was everywhere. Anywhere. Her emotions propelled her into nothingness. Every object in the lab was shattered or strewn about and the turtles watched in horror, but remained untouched. Unexpectedly, she was back in the confines of her finite body. Something warm spilled from her nose, onto her lip. Her eyes drooped and her consciousness was leaving her as she wiped her face to see blood. Her stomach churned and Leonardo caught her as she toppled off of the chair.

"I was too late," she whispered and went limp in his arms.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

The drive up to the farmhouse was long and laborious. Kirby joined April in the front seat of the van. They had to stop for gas on multiple occasions and she had to stop and check the engine at least three times. It hadn't run that long in awhile. In the back, the brothers sat, heads hung, staring at their father's mummified body. None of them spoke. None of them cried. They just _stared_. Casey followed in his fixer-upper car, carrying the luggage and the food.

As she drove through the winding upstate roads, she recalled waking up to Donnie's concerned gaze. _April? April look at me. Are you alright?_ She nodded, but her head pounded against her skull. She was incredibly aware of her eyes, which pulsed with her heartbeat. _You had another, um… You passed out._ She squinted and attempted to sit up, only for him to catch her just before she hit her head on the pavement. _Don't move._ He concentratedly inspected her, checking her vitals. She heard Mikey sob from the other room, and she remembered. Her heart sped up. _Splinter_ , she gasped. His face twisted in pain and she watched tears fill his eyes as he looked away. Her hand found his arm and squeezed. He didn't talk much after that.

She wondered what he was thinking as she watched the rain pour onto the asphalt. The wipers swiped vigorously across the windshield, and she was relieved when the O'Neil mailbox came into view. Her father shifted in his seat. It would be the first time he had been there since her mom passed away. It was late afternoon already and it would take a while before they settled in. When the van finally came to a stop, they all sat in eerie silence, waiting for someone to make the first move. It was Kirby who got out first. She saw him slowly approach the house and she heard movement from behind her. The back door slid open. She took off her seatbelt and got out, taking a deep breath. When she rounded the backside of the van, already soaking wet, her heart lept into her throat. The turtles were carrying him into the barn, careful not to disturb any of the wrappings. Casey watched as well, digging the toe of his shoe into the dirt. The barn door slid shut.

"April!" Kirby called from the porch. The urgency of his voice made her turn. His eyes were brimming with tears. "Can you… Come with me?" he asked. She smiled slightly.

"Sure, Dad." She walked up and grabbed his arm, taking the key out of his hand and unlocking the door. He took a deep breath and set his shoulders before letting go of her and stepping over the threshold. A smile spread across his face as he walked through the place, and April couldn't help but smile too. Seeing him happy made it a little easier to be away so often. Soon, everyone was settled in, and she helped her Dad prepare a dinner. Nothing special, just some spaghetti. She called for them when it was ready and slowly, everyone made their way into the kitchen. They were prepared to let everyone do their own thing, but the brothers gathered at the table anyway. It was sort of an unsaid requirement for all of them, after they watched the turtles sit. As if it was now appropriate to have dinner at the table, as long as they were okay with it. For awhile, no one spoke and April was just about to break the silence when Leonardo cleared his throat.

"We wanted to thank you guys. For everything. We were going to rest up tonight and have the ceremony in the morning. You… Don't have to take part in it, if you don't want to-"

"Of course we would, Leo," Kirby said. Leo nodded.

"Thank you," he said again. The room fell silent. April found Donatello's eyes just in time for him to look away. Raphael finished his plate quickly, and exited the room with barely anyone noticing. Michelangelo downed his as well, asking for seconds and even thirds.

Before long, they had all dispersed, and April went up to her room to catch up on some homework. She told her professors that a close family member had died and that she wouldn't be able to attend class for a few weeks. All of them understood, and the ones who hadn't had their lectures posted already sent them to her, along with messages of condolences and extension promises. Mostly, she just wanted to get it all done as quickly as she could. Because, despite always feeling like she's drowning in homework, her classes were starting to bore her. This way, she could get it done at her own pace. For hours, she focused all her energy into getting it done and was caught up from the past few days, then ahead for a few weeks before she knew it. _Donnie would be proud_ , she thought wryly. _Speaking of him, he never came to say goodnight_. She rubbed her eyes and pulled her sweatshirt on before slipping out from beneath her warm covers. She padded down the stairs to find Michelangelo passed out in front of the television, which blared re-reruns of Crognard. He wore the "Kiss The Cook" apron that she bought when they stayed there during the Kraang invasion. When she passed the kitchen, she saw Leonardo sitting at the table, sipping on some tea. The room was spotless and smelled slightly of food and cleaning supplies. She sauntered in, taking the jug of milk out of the fridge and pouring some of it into a mug. She popped the microwave open and set it in, getting the honey out.

"It looks nice in here," she said.

"That was all Mikey… He couldn't stand the dishes just sitting there. One thing led to another, and- well, he cleaned the _entire_ kitchen. And _then_ he made lunch for tomorrow. I had to slip something in his tea just so he would sleep."  
"I'll make sure to thank him tomorrow."

He fell silent again and she turned around to find him staring out the window, past the rain. His hands gripped the cup, wringing them unconsciously. She wanted to talk to him, but she knew he didn't want to. On top of being a more "suffer in silence" type, she knew how it felt to lose a parent. She wasn't going to push it. Her milk was finally done and she stirred a bit of honey into it. She suddenly felt very self conscious, careful not to make too much noise with the spoon or step too loudly on the creaky boards. She took a sip before speaking again.

"Have you seen Donnie?"

"I thought he was with you?" he asked, still not looking away from the window.

"N-no… He didn't even come in to say goodnight. I'm gonna check on him."

He nodded once.

Before she really realized it, she had thrown her coat and boots on. Concentrating hard, she let her feet lead her into the rain and to the barn. When she approached, she saw that the light was on and the door was cracked. She slipped in and found him on the far side of it, slouched in a chair. Splinter's body lay in front of him, on the desk. She shivered and wrapped her hands around the mug for warmth. She had almost forgotten. Temporarily, at least. It felt very similarly to when her mother died. Her brain would let her get distracted by trivial things, when suddenly, it would hit her like a truck. She would suddenly realize that her mother was gone. When she woke up, she waited awhile for Donatello to walk out of the dojo, when an unanticipated shock of grief racked her whole body. She felt a wave of nausea-like grief strike her again.

"Donnie, I brought you some warm milk. I figured you could- Donnie?" Not once had he turned or even moved, to acknowledge her presence. When she got closer, she saw that he was breathing, which calmed her a little. Still, it didn't sit right with her. She finally faced him and saw that his eyes were closed and he whistled through his teeth with each exhalation. If Splinter's body hadn't been there, she may have smiled. She noticed that a few tools were laying around, and didn't want to think about what they were for. She set the milk down on a smaller table to the left, before approaching him again. She put a hand on his shoulder.

"Honey-" she was cut off by him yanking her wrist away, flipping her onto the dirty ground with a growl. His face wore a mask of anger that she had never before seen, and it caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand up. Her eyes watered and she legitimately questioned her safety. He stood above her, panting, before his face fell and his eyes bulged.

"Oh, God, _April_!" he gasped. He wrapped a single hand around her back, helping her to her feet. "I'm sorry! Did I hurt you? Are you okay?"

"I'm… fine."

He sighed.

"No you're not. That was… I am _so_ sorry. I don't-I don't know what came over me, I… Here." He took her aching wrist in his hand more gently than she had ever felt him touch her. He moved it around, and she felt the dull pain start to fade. Still, her body shook and she flinched when he brushed against her. She tried not to make it so obvious, but she could see that he noticed. "Is that better?" he asked, wrapping it lightly.

"Y-yeah, it is…"

"You'll want to keep that there until the swelling goes down. That shouldn't be for long, but if it starts to hurt again, just let me know." He let go of her and though she had been scared, she longed to hold him. "Listen, April, I'm sorry… I was… dreaming of… Anyway, I should have never done that, be it consciously or not. That was-was the scariest thing I've ever done in my life. I want you to know that I… I don't _ever_ want you to be afraid of me. I won't ever hurt you like that again, I promise you that."

"I know… I know you didn't mean to…" She put a hand on his bicep and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "Um, I brought you some warm milk and honey. It's, uh, probably cold now, but… If I might ask, what were you dreaming about?" She went and grabbed the mug, feeling it was still slightly warm and waited for his answer. He sighed again, after taking a swig of it.

"I just… I've just been thinking about every possible outcome, being here, and I… I thought that if The Foot could infiltrate our lair without my security systems being set off, then… Well, what if they were here, now?" He didn't dare look at her, for fear of being judged. Or worse, laughed at. On top of that, he was so ashamed, he could've retreated into his shell right then. She stood, shivering at the thought of The Foot being there. Watching them. Waiting for a weak spot. "I was… Imagining myself, fighting K-" he stopped and took a breath before continuing. "Karai… I must have still been dreaming when you snuck up on me."

"You have nothing to worry about…"

"I know, I just… I can't… I can't lose anyone else. I…" He grabbed her by the shoulders, ignoring her instinctive flinch, and pulled her tight to his plastron. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat before continuing. "If something happened to you… To my brothers, your father, Casey… I couldn't- I would never be able to forgive myself."

"We'll be alright. We… we're gonna get through this."

He wrapped one hand around her head and another around her lower back, pushing her to him again. When he pulled away, she saw his eyes water and he opened his mouth to say something. Her heart sped up when she felt as if they were being watched. Her head pounded and she let go to grip it.

"April, what's going on?"

"I think someone's out there, watching us…" His hand flew to his bo staff, which was propped against the table, next to Splinter's cane. He threw himself in front of her and held it up defensively. As her head pulsed stronger, she could feel their emotions stronger and stronger. Anger, despair, guilt, loneliness…

"Whoever you are, show yourself!" Donnie yelled, shifting his feet to make his stance lower. Focusing hard, she felt them as they desperately tried to get away. Something told her that they were gone for good, and she wondered who could be plagued with such complex emotions. The farther they got away, the less her head ached, but Donatello did not move from where he was.

"They're gone," she said. He relaxed, then turned to face her.

"Who-"

"I couldn't tell you… They were… I dunno, scared, but angry and so terribly sad, and then they just-just fled…"

"Hmm," he hummed, scratching his chin. "I'll keep an eye out for anything suspicious. I built some motion sensors and set them up around the barn and the house. I calibrated them to notify my T-Phone any time one of them is triggered… C'mon, let's go get some rest. We have a long day tomorrow." She nodded and intertwined her fingers with his the best she could.

 _We're gonna get through this_ , she thought. ... _Right?_

"You never anticipate losing one of the people you love most. Although, living the life of a ninja can be dangerous and trying, Hamato Yoshi never failed to be prepared with whatever came barreling at him. Even when he lost everything, he found purpose. He was a true warrior, the greatest of his time, and dare I say, ours. But not only was he that, he was an incredible teacher. At his harshest- his scariest, he was gentle and understanding. He encouraged us to never give up, never give in to the parts of ourselves that tell us we're not good enough. He taught us compassion and honor. He was the strongest person I've ever met. He loved unconditionally, with his heart and arms open. When we were young, it wasn't exactly easy for us. Life in the sewers, as you can imagine, was tough. We didn't always have a lair or gear or even beds. But he always found somewhere for us to sleep. To stay warm, and healthy. When we complained of hunger pains, he scrounged up whatever he could find. And, of course, at that young age, we didn't realize that he would go days, sometimes _weeks_ without food, so that we wouldn't have to suffer through it. I remember one day, we were searching for a place to sleep, and we had to get through this really rough part of the tunnels, that had just been affected by this huge rainstorm. We were really high above this pit. At the bottom of it, was this swirling vat of water, with branches and trash and sharp edges poking out everywhere. I was so scared. We all were, but I just-I froze. I couldn't stop staring at all the danger beneath me. Everyone made it across, and he called for me, but I was so paralyzed by my fear. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't bring myself to take one more step. Well, none of us realized that the ledge we used to get across had been eroded, and it started to fall apart. As if I wasn't scared enough, my only means of transportation to my family was crumbling before my eyes. He finally got my attention and he was shouting at me to jump. To just _jump_ out there. I wasn't going to. Not until the ledge beneath me gave out and I was plummeting toward the water. Little did I know, that he had taken some of Donnie's rope and lassoed it around a pipe. He swung down and caught me and we made it up to my brothers and I looked at him and I shouted 'How could you do that?! How could you let me fall?! I could have died!' I was so angry. Not really at him. At myself. For being so weak. But, he just looked at me and he said 'If you do not fall, how will you ever learn to get back up?'. If Master Splinter taught me anything, it's resilience. And I know he would want us all to practice it, even now. Even during this time of darkness. He'd want us to stay strong for one another. And, speaking on behalf of all of us, we'd like to carry out his wishes."

Leonardo turned to his father's body, which lay atop a board and a stack of hay. He put a hand on his head and pressed a kiss to it, before turning to Donatello, who had the match ready to strike, a look of despair plaguing his face. April sniffled from behind him, and Kirby turned his gaze to the ground. Casey shifted uncomfortably next to Raphael.

"Wait!" Michelangelo said, and stepped between his brother and Splinter. "You can't yet, you- I need to say goodbye one last time." Leo nodded. When the youngest turtle turned to his father, his face twisted in pain, and he once again threw himself across his chest, body shaking with sobs. Raphael reached for him, but he wouldn't budge. He gritted his teeth, but the tears still came, streaming down his cheeks. He couldn't stand to see his brother like that.

"C'mon, Mikey. It's time. You have to-"

"No! Wait, _please_ , just- wait!"

They let go and April buried her face in Kirby's shoulder. He patted her head and pulled her closer. Casey put a hand on Raph's shoulder, and for once, he didn't flinch away. He looked back with a mixed expression, but Casey knew it meant 'thank you'. Michelangelo put his face up to Splinter's ear and cried as he whispered.

"I love you, _Sensei_."

Raphael sucked in a pained breath as he watched his baby brother have to be peeled away from their father's body. Donatello had wrapped his long arms around him and yanked him back a few feet. He followed, and paused in front of the orange masked turtle.

"Mikey. Mikey, _hey_. Listen."

His big blue eyes found Raph's.

"It's time."

Donnie loosened his grip.

"I'm not ready, bro," he replied, voice cracking. Raphael blinked away tears and offered a comforting hand on his brother's arm.

"Me either."

They heard Leonardo strike the match against the board and his hand shook as he placed it beneath the wood.

The hay lit up first.

The brothers came together at the sight, not noticing that everyone else had slipped away, and held each other until the last ember went out.

From inside the forest, a figure watched the turtles numbly walk away from their father's grave, which was marked with the bud of a new tree. Before going inside, Leonardo turned back, and his eyes narrowed when they landed on the silhouette. His head fell when he finally stepped over the threshold. After the sun was long set and the grounds were quiet, the figure emerged from the woods, taking a knee before Splinter's grave. A light turned on inside and they dashed back into the comfort of the shadows.

 _One month later…_

"They're fighting again, aren't they?" April asked.

"Yeah," he sighed. "And this time I tried to get in the middle of it." He turned the webcam back to him, to reveal a bruised and swollen eye. She gasped.

"Ohmigod, Donnie!"

"April, I… I don't know if I can deal with this for much longer-" In the background, a crashing noise could be heard, and he was immediately out of his seat. She watched as he grabbed his bo staff and then, she was staring at his room, only able to use her hearing to inquire about what was going on.

"Are you _fucking serious_?!" she heard Donnie shout. "Raph! Go to the dojo! I'll deal with you in a minute. Leo, in here. Now!"

"Leo, please, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"

The door shut. Something else could be heard breaking.

She worriedly scanned the screen, only to see Leonardo walk past, holding a bloody arm. When she looked closer, she saw something glint in the light. It almost looked like- _oh, God_.

"Donnie! Is everything alright?!"

He came into view, holding his first aid kit.

"No. It is most definitely _not_ alright. Listen, April, I gotta call you back-"

"I'm _fine_ , Donnie. Would you just let me go now?"

She almost gasped at the anger in Leo's tone. She hadn't heard a word from him since the funeral, and his voice sounded hoarse and deep. Weighed down by grief.

"Is-is that…"

"Raph's _sai_ sticking out of Leo's arm? Yes."

"Holy shit. Holy _shit_! Is he okay?! Will it be okay?" After a silent inspection, he nodded and muttered to himself.

"He'll be fine… I just have to get it out. It luckily didn't hit any arteries or nerves. Clean through the muscle." She noted the anger in his voice. It wasn't often that you heard him get this way. He was so gentle, so kind. "You two need to stop this. You're _adults_. Act like it. Leo, you can't go egging him on. And don't tell me you haven't been doing that. You're trying to pin your emotions on someone. Your blame, and-"

"Last time I checked, you were my brother, not my fuckin' therapist," he spat. Donnie gaped at him. April tried to cover her gasp, but she saw him look over to the screen. Her stomach churned at the empty look in his eyes.

Eventually, he had Leo patched and cleaned and had him send Raph in. He sat, with a black eye of his own and what looked like a gash beneath it.

"Donnie, I… I can't say I'm sorry enough…"

"Yeah, well, you're lucky there was no permanent damage."

"He just… You gotta believe me, I was… Keeping my distance after what happened last time. And he just- he just came at me, head on, with his katana drawn. It was… It _scared_ me, Donnie." He stopped cleaning the red-masked turtle's wound and squinted in thought.

"He… _attacked_ you?"

"Yes! It was… He seemed, I dunno, off."

"Hmm… Okay… I'll try to talk to him again. Meanwhile, don't go anywhere near him. And keep these patches on. Don't take out the stitches. It needs to heal. If that cut had gotten any further north… You'd be half blind." He patted Raph on the shoulder and sent him on his way. As soon as the door could be heard clicking shut, his shoulders dropped and he covered his face with his hands.

"Donnie…"

"How long, April? How long must this drag on? If he was here, he would know what to do. What to say…" He sat in front of the camera again and she could see the tension in his neck. "God, it's like… I forget sometimes, you know? I wake up and I go warm up in the dojo. And then I realize I'm waiting for him. To come in, with his tea. And he just… doesn't." His eyes watered again and he rubbed his temples with his thumb and forefinger.

"I miss him, too…" she whispered, trying to cover up the quiver in her lip and the crack in her voice. He looked up at her then, his face paling and eyes wide with fear, realization. It almost concerned her, how scared he looked. He didn't look… right. His face was warped in a way that aged him ten years.

"He's gone," he said.

She nodded.

"He's really gone." His shoulders slumped forward and a strangled sob escaped his lips. Everything he had been holding in for his family oozed from his pores and she, too, cried. For him, for Splinter, for their broken family. His face burned at the thought of April seeing him like this, for the second time. He knew he could be open with her, but there was a part of him that still liked to present himself as the ninja he was raised to be. As strong, stoic. His large hands covered his face in shame.

"Oh, Donnie…" April's hand gently slid down the screen of her computer, and she noticed he hadn't let his heart shatter yet. He'd kept it together for them, but he didn't let himself break. He was always one to push himself to the limit, skipping meals and going without sleep to work on projects and retro mutagens. Her own heart ached for him, knowing what a blow the loss of her mother was. How it felt to finally break down and let it sink in. She remembered the night she realized it.

It was one of the biggest storms to hit upstate. The lightning was so bright, it lit her entire room, and the thunder so loud the house shook. She screamed and called for her mother, hid beneath her blankets and heard the footsteps rushing down the hall. When the door flung open, there was her father. And her father alone. He ran to her aid, and she peeked out at him from beneath the covers.

"I… I want Mom," she said. Kirby's face fell and his lip trembled and he took a deep breath before saying

"She's gone, April."

And that was it.

He stayed up with her all night, while the anger and sadness flowed out of her and filled the place to the very edges. And she was prepared to sit with Donnie, too. For as long as it took. Even if it was all day and night.

Leonardo wasn't one to lie. He hated it more than when Raphael threatened to leave the team or when Michelangelo chewed with his mouth open. And, as he flew across rooftop after rooftop, guilt creeped into his stomach. _You're not technically lying_ , he told himself. _If they have no idea where you are._ Still, he leaped and flipped and let the wind rush by him, forgetting how suffocated he felt below. How being in the dojo made his lungs forget how to work. How despair leaked from every corner of the lair.

The night was particularly cold, for late April, and the air stung his throat, but he couldn't stop himself. The adrenaline was too much of a high. It felt too good to be out of the stuffy confines of his underground home. Finally, his legs gave out, somewhere in Chinatown. His chest heaved and tears stung his eyes as the guilt engulfed him again. He knew he was wrong for forbidding access to the streets to his brothers. He knew he was wrong for feeling such rage toward Donatello and Raphael. For hurting them, over and over. His hand brushed his bandaged arm, where his red-masked brother's sai had been sticking out not too long ago. He remembered how scared Raph was of him. How he was so angry he could hear nothing but his racing pulse in his ears. He didn't even stop to think about _why_ he was mad. Raphael had done nothing. Said nothing. Not today, at least. But he went after him. Without so much as a second thought, he ran with his katana in an offensive position. He shivered at the memory of his brother's face twisted in fear, shielded by his arm, as if Leonardo were going to hurt him. _You_ were _going to hurt him. If he hadn't stopped you, what might you have done?_ He shook his head at the thought. Tried to convince himself otherwise. But it creeped back.

A sudden movement behind him knocked him back into reality and he sprung from his knees to spin around. There was nothing. He heard something else to his right. Then, his left. He drew his katana and turned just in time to block the strike of a tanto.

One he would've recognized anywhere.

She grinned at him, as he shoved her away, lowering his stance.

He stared for a long second, before charging at her with a cry of fury. Every move he threw at her, she blocked. He thrust a katana toward her side and she dodged, knocking the sword from his hand. He cursed and turned briefly, bringing his left leg around and felt it connect with her jaw. She stumbled to the ground, and he watched as she rubbed it, smiling harder. Her teeth were coated in red and she spat blood onto the concrete roof. While she was down, he took advantage of the break, pulling her up and pinning her against a large air conditioner. Her skull cracked against it, but he didn't seem to care as much. In a swift movement, he brought his elbow down against her wrist, knocking the tanto lose and kicked it away. He brought his own blade to her neck, leaning in close. He was startled to notice that she still smelled faintly of jasmine, as she always did.

"What're you doing here?" he asked, coarsely. She gave no answer. Instead, she forced her knee into his plastron, earning a grunt, and he let go. Again, she lifted her leg and thrust a kick into the same spot, knocking him on his knees. His katana clattered against the rooftop. With a swing of her fist, she landed a blow against his cheek. For the second time, she swung her fist, colliding it with his nose. His head whipped to the side and the coppery smell of blood filled his nose, coated his tastebuds. A wave of nausea twisted his guts when the memory of Splinter's blood being retched all over the floor of the lab flashed before his eyes. He froze, paralyzed with the horrific sight. She sent a kick to his shoulder, and he fell backward, his carapace saving his head from cracking on the gravel. When he looked at her, he saw the anger flare in her.

"Fight _back_ , Leonardo!"

Her amber eyes bore into his, and he watched as her features eventually softened. His jaw clenched at the thought of her pitying him. Babying him. Embarrassment making his face burn beneath his dull pain, he swung his leg out against her ankles, and she too, fell flat on her back. As she fell, he noticed she had let her hair grow out. The underside was now a deep magenta, almost red. He liked it. Next to him, she panted, a smile creeping it's way across her face again. She turned to face him.

"That's better."

He moved his head to look at her, their faces inches apart. His cheeks flushed and his eyes drifted away. He saw her lips part and turn down, her face tilting slightly and moving a centimeter closer. He felt his heart pump loudly in his chest when her eyes flicked to _his_ lips, and she leaned in another centimeter. As her eyelids started to lower, a breath hitched in his throat and he rolled over onto his hands and knees. Her face burned red and she was up in an instant, only to slam her foot into his plastron once again, and he saw fluttering silver stars in his vision. Using his elbows, he propped himself up, just in time to see her throw all her weight into her forearm, striking him in the chest. The air in his lungs left at once, and he saw more stars as he felt her blade against the skin of his neck. She was so close, her nose touched his beak. He felt the tears before he really saw them, fighting their way out, rolling down her high cheekbones. She tried to ignore them, her face a beautiful stone sculpture. But he saw her lip quiver ever-so-slightly. Absentmindedly, his large hand lifted, his two fingers brushing the hair from her face, his thumb sliding softly across her cheek, over her lips. And, though confusion and irritation crossed her features, she leaned into the touch. Her breath sped up, too. The tanto dropped from her hand and fell to the side and she smacked his hand away from her face. Sniffling, she backed up against the same air conditioner he had slammed her up against, and he sat up, feeling sick at the sight of the dent her body made in it. He took a shaky breath before he talked.

"Splinter is gone," he said.

Her head drooped between her knees.

"It was you, wasn't it? At the farmhouse?" He hesitantly scooted closer, waiting for her answer, leaning himself against the AC unit. She lifted her head to meet his gaze. Her eyes burned and her face turned up in pain.

"How did you know?"

"I just… did."

They sat in silence for what seemed like ages, listening to the sounds of New York. She felt torn. Leonardo comforted her. In a weird way. Made her feel… Like no one and nothing else did. And it scared her more than anything. She knew that her "ways" were unorthodox. They always were. But she wanted to talk to him like she wasn't raised to be a deadly assassin. She wanted to be there for him. She wanted for him to be there for _her_. She knew she could count on him, no matter what, but a part of her coiled away from the feelings she had for him. A part of her resented him for making her feel weak and vulnerable. He finally touched his cold shoulder to hers, sighing. She felt his gaze on her, and tried to ignore it, but found herself looking back into his ocean blue eyes.

" _Karai_ …" he whispered. It was soft. Gorgeous, almost. The way his hard, stony facade faded away. He caressed her face again, and she brought her hand up to his. She couldn't bring her face to his. When she rolled her head away, she noticed a small piece of fabric in his belt pocket, tightly secured with the shuriken. Was there a hint of red? She reached for it, and he hit her hand away. When she flinched away from him, she saw the fear in his face. Felt it in the air. "Don't." She licked her lips again reached again, quicker this time, grabbing it between her fingers and lifting it gently. It rolled out onto her palm. What she saw took her breath away, and her hand flew to her mouth.

It was a piece of his robe.

The Hamato Crest was hand-sewn into the delicate fabric. Her lip trembled again at the sight of bloodstains on the beautiful design. Without expectation, it was gone from her hand. She let him snatch it away and glanced over to the edge of the roof. She knew which alley it led to. She could be gone in an instant. She could be halfway to her new apartment by now.

It was hard to give up her place in Japan. It was just her, there. No mutants. No aliens. No evil warlord fathers. No Karai. No Miwa. She was just… Her. But how could she stay gone at a time like this? When they needed her most. When _she_ needed _them_ most? _Of course, think of your next exit strategy. What else would you expect? Coward_.

"I'm sorry," she gasped, standing there, awkward with guilt and shame. He shoved it back into it's place and took a deep breath.

"He left something for you."

Her head snapped to his direction. Slowly, she felt the comforting arms of retreat begin to engulf her, but he grabbed her hand. She shook her head vigorously, trying to get away. But his grip was like iron on her small wrist.

"Get off of me! Let go! Stop! _No_!" Her screams were all for naught as he pulled her into an embrace, nuzzling her face into his neck. For a moment she stiffened, until the image of the bloodied Hamato Crest filled her vision once again. Her blood rushed in her ears and her lungs gasped for air as she sobbed into his shoulder. "I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry…"

"Mikey?" Raphael asked.

Just like always, no answer.

"I… I really need someone little brother… C-could we talk?" He scratched his neck awkwardly, kicking a loose pebble on the floor.

No answer.

"C'mon, _please_?" he begged, knocking again. With each passing moment, his anger boiled his blood at a hotter and hotter temperature. His nostrils flared and tears stung his eyes and he clenched his hands into fists. "Mikey, _God_ , just say something? So I know you're alright?" Still, no sound came from inside. Fear coursed through his veins and his hands shook, before he pounded a fist against the door. "OPEN THE DOOR, _GODAMNITT_!" Now irate, he pulled at the knob with all of the force in his body, unable to get it to turn. "DONNIE! DONNIE, HURRY!" The lab door slid open so fast, it hit the wall and came back. His brother was there in an instant, bõ staff at the ready.

"What is it, Raph?!"

"It's Mikey… I think there's something wrong! We gotta get in there!"

"What? What do you mean-"

"Just _get me in there_ , will ya?!"

"Raph-"

"JUST _DO_ IT!"

"Alright, _alright_!" he said, leaving and coming back with his lock-picking gadget he'd made when they were fifteen. As soon as the gears could be heard shifting, Raphael shoved the door open. Donatello gasped.

His room was spotless.

No collection of human underwear, no pizza boxes. His action figures were on his shelves, organized and his bed was made. Softly, he snored as he slept, curled up, with his headphones on. Raphael wanted to wake him up, but he knew it wouldn't end well. Mikey had his own way of dealing, and he needed to respect that. _You could try to talk to Donnie_ , he thought. But he knew how irrational and sometimes dumb his purple-masked brother thought he was. It was worth a shot, anyway. He _definitely_ couldn't talk to Leo, and Casey was busy with work. And he was never much to talk to either. All Raph ever did with him was drink, and while it was fun and they had a good time, it wasn't what he needed.

"He's _fine_ , Raph. C'mon, let him sleep."

He backed out of the room, taking one last look, before shutting the door.

They walked away in silence, but he followed Donnie to his lab. When his brother turned around questioningly, he finally spoke up.

"Could we, uh… talk?" he asked.

He blinked.

"Um… Sure, bro…"

When they entered the lab, a shiver ran down his spine. It felt cold. He glanced around at all of his brother's projects and the certificates from all of his online degrees on the wall. He dared not look at the lab table, or the floor around it. But it was no use.

He remembered the night their father passed, he walked in to get Donnie. April was still out of it, and everyone else had gone to bed. He knew that if he didn't say something, Donnie would be up all night. And they had a long drive the next morning. He slid the door open, to find him scrubbing the floor relentlessly, the scratching of the sponge the only sound echoing through the lair. The bucket next to him was red. The soap and water and cleaning agent tainted. His brother's hands were raw, blisters forming. His eyes stared forward in concentration. He didn't even see or hear Raphael come in. It scared him, though he wouldn't admit it, to see his genius brother doing something so mindless. His hands shook as he reached to stop his brother's. The look Donnie gave him almost brought tears to his eyes. He looked like a child, innocence painting his features. It wasn't him. He was lost in his wonderful mind, caught off guard by grief. It made Raphael uncomfortable to be in the lab.

"What's up?" he asked, plopping into his rolling chair and typing away at his computer. The turtle in red grabbed a chair and pulled up to the table, crossing his arms.

"I'm worried about Mikey."

"I am, too."

"I mean… Is it healthy for him to sleep so much? He never leaves his room. Not even for training. I don't wanna force him to do something he doesn't want to, but…"

"Raph, he's grieving."

"Don't you think he's acting beside himself? This isn't Mikey. Even when Sp-" he gulped, before continuing. "When we were waiting for him to… He made us breakfast like always, he was-he was our brother. He wasn't cutting himself off or locking himself away."

"I know this isn't like him. He just needs his space right now-"

"Yeah, but _why_? I can't stand to see him like this, he needs to _snap out of it_ -"

"He can't just 'snap out of it', Raph! Don't you get it?! I mean, of all people I think _you'd_ get it!" Donatello said, his voice raising a bit more.

"What-"

"He's _depressed_."

Raphael blinked.

"Sleeping all day, pushing us away, acting different, not eating… Tell-tale signs." He sighed and stopped typing, looking his brother in the face for the first time in awhile. He saw how aged he looked; tired, sad, angry. "The best thing you can do for him is let him figure it out on his own, okay? He'll completely reject any form of therapy or attempts to get him out of his rut. Or admit to anything. But he'll come around. And if the situation arises, we'll be there to help." He reached his lanky arm over the table then, laying a hand on Raph's shoulder and smiling faintly.

"We're gonna get through this," he said, patting Donnie's hand. "We'll be alright."

"I think so, yeah…" The turtle in purple leaned back in his chair, sighing loudly in relief.

Just then, his T-Phone rang.

"April?"

" _Donnie_!" she yelled. She sounded panicked. Her voice wavered and screams could be heard in the background. Her breaths were labored; as if she were running. He leaned forward intently.

"Honey, what's-"

"Donnie, something's going on up here. With The Foot, they-" she was cut off by a loud boom and a crack, before the line went static. He yanked the phone away from his ear. When he looked back at the screen, he noticed he had ten missed calls. _Ten missed calls_?! He thought.

"April?! _April_!" He stood abruptly, knocking over weeks of work, leaping over the table and sprinting to the door, grabbing his bo. Raph followed him.

"What's going on?"

"Sh-sh-she said something about The Foot. I need-I need to get Mikey up. We have to find her. Where's Leo? _Where's Leo_?!" He spun back around, and went to his desk, typing again.

"Donnie, tell me what's going on."

"I don't _know_! She said something was going on with The Foot and then-and then there's was an explosion and I lost her signal- _oh, God_!" He sunk deeper in the chair, eyes wide with fear. Raphael stared at him for a moment, hoping to whatever's up there that he wouldn't slip into that state again; into that mindless, floor-scrubbing state.

When he was sure that he would be fine, he ran to the dojo, where he grabbed his sai and gear. As he left the dojo, he saw Leo come in, and had to do a double take when he saw that he was smiling. Grinning, from ear to ear. Actually _smiling_. He tried not to be angry at the sight. _What the fuck is his problem_?!

"Where have _you_ been? We gotta go-"

He stopped in his tracks when he realized why his brother was so happy. Just past the turnstiles, entering the lair, was Karai. Or what _looked_ like Karai. Her hair was longer, and… pink underneath? She wore ripped jeans and boots, with a leather jacket and a t-shirt. There was no armour, but he saw the tip of the handle of her tanto sticking out from her left boot. Her makeup was more subtle, but still designed carefully and precisely. The patches of leg that could be seen were covered in tattoos, and when she yanked up her sleeve awkwardly, he saw them there, too. All that aside, he felt the urgency of the situation start to overwhelm him. Last he knew, she had up and left the city; went to Japan or something and cut ties with everyone here. Even Leo. Even _Splinter_. Her own _father_ , she left behind. And he had pretended to understand. He said that she was a tortured soul. But they all heard him say a prayer for her every night. They saw the look on his face when someone mentioned her name. She hurt him deeper than he let on. She broke his heart. And he'd never forgive her, ever. He didn't care what was 'honorable', she was still the enemy in his book. And his mind reeled at the thought of her showing up now, of all times. How ironic that just as The Foot started whatever rampage they'd started, Karai would appear, sad and weak. That she would wait to come back and acknowledge her father's death until this moment. This day. The angry beast inside him took over again, like it had when Leo attacked him, like it had so many times before, and he charged forward, stopping inches from her face when Leo ordered him to cease.

"And what are _you_ doing here?!"

"She's here to get what's rightfully hers. _Sensei_ left her stuff, too-"

"Yeah, well, I don't trust her! She can stay her ass in Japan or wherever the fuck she disappeared to, for all I care!"

"Raph, what the hell has gotten _into_ you?!"

"The Foot! That's what's gotten into me! Something's wrong. April's in trouble."

Leonardo blinked.

" _What_?" Karai asked.

"Mikey, Mikey wake _up_!" Donnie shook his brother, until his eyes peeled open. He took off his headphones and squinted up at him.

"Whaa-?"

"April's in trouble. We have to go. _Now_!" The turtle in orange sprung from his bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and opening the drawer to his nightstand and grabbing his nunchaku. It was instinct now, he realized, to grab his weapons when someone was in trouble. Even as Donnie's words were still taking time to seep in, he found himself focusing on the weight of them in his hands. How natural it felt, but how out of practice it felt too. He followed his genius brother into the hallway, trying to uncloud his thoughts.

"Donnie, what do you mean? What happened?"

"She called and said something about The Foot, and then there was an explosion and-" he paused, his gaze focused somewhere near the door. The youngest turtle peered around the genius groggily. He followed his eyes and his heart sank. _Oh. It's her._ He rolled his eyes and walked out into the room, where Raphael stood next to her, arms crossed over his plastron, jaw working. As he looked about, he locked eyes with her and her chin tilted up optimistically. He sighed heavily and watched the ground as he went to grab his gear. _Of course she'd show up_ now _,_ he thought. _She couldn't have been here when he was_ dying _or even attend his damn_ funeral _, but by all means, just stop by_.

"So, what's the plan, Fearless?" he heard Raph ask. He hadn't heard the nickname in awhile. The red-clad turtle only really ever used it when he was angry or being endearing. Which confused Mikey a lot, though he never said anything. His brother had always been a complicated dude.

"Um…"

"The last place her phone gave off a signal was just outside of Kirby's apartment. We should check there first. From what I've heard from the police scanners, it's close to there that their little demonstration is going on," Donnie said.

"He's right. Kirby's is our first stop. We'll take the Shellraiser."

"I'll stay here, to protect the lair. Just in case," Karai interjected. They stared.

"That won't be necessary. I've got security set up for miles. If someone compromises it, we'll know." The purple-clad turtle glared at her, but Leo stepped in.

"She's got a point."

"What?" Raph asked, clearly agitated.

"We could use her. It's important this place stays hidden-"

"Yeah, well, we know how she likes to stick around."

Each of them turned to Mikey, wide-eyed, except Karai. He felt a pang of guilt roll through his stomach as her face twisted up and she looked at the floor. He too, averted his gaze to something, _anything_ else. He wished someone would break the silence.

"You're forgetting a key point- _APRIL IS IN TROUBLE AND WE'RE STILL DOWN HERE ARGUING ABOUT OUR PLAN!_ " Donatello shouted. "I don't _care_ about the lair or Karai's commitment issues! I'm leaving _now_ , so if anyone would like to come help me rescue her, now is the time!" He stormed off toward the lab, grabbing what he needed as he went, waiting for his brother's to get their heads out of their shells and follow. _Please let her be okay. Please let her be alive. Please._

"Master Shredder. I have news-"

"I do not have the patience to hear of yet another failure-"

"It's Karai, sir."

He turned.

"What of her?"

"She was spotted. Here. In the city."

He looked out over the rooftops from the window behind his throne. His hands clasped together behind his back, he swallowed the lump in his throat and spoke up. She was alive. That was all that mattered. She was well, she was here. And he would get her back.

"Find her. Bring her here. At any cost."

"Yes, sir."

"And what of Miss O'Neil?"

"Disposed of, Master Shredder."

"See to it the turtles know of her demise. Soon the painful sting of death will be upon _them_ , and I will finally be rid of _pests_."

He dismissed the man with a single gesture, running a hand over his helmet before placing it upon his head for the first time in a long time. Vengeance would be his, after all.

Author's notes: _Hey guys! I haven't written many notes in here because I didn't expect much traffic. Thank you SO much for the views! It means a lot to know that people are at least reading. I appreciate it more than you know. If you have questions or comments or suggestions, feel free to do so! I also wanted to apologize for the formatting... There should be large breaks between certain parts, but it doesn't work how I'd like it to... Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll be posting the next one soon!_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four:

Sometimes Karai thought she could hear Yoshi's voice.

It was faint. Soft. Calming.

It caught her off guard, when she felt it.

He'd appeared in her dreams; invaded her thoughts, even when she meditated.

It was a persistent, fatherly nagging, in the back of her skull, distracting her. But it was something else entirely that made her pick up the phone. That made her check her messages.

It'd been a busy day at the gym.

She'd picked up an extra shift and boxed for two hours after close, hoping that she could let out all the anger. She thought leaving would make it go away, subside at the very least. But she'd felt increasingly antsy lately. Always checking her lock, re-checking it. Using her peripherals to look behind her as she walked home from work… She made sure she was safe; that he'd never find her. But Saki had his ways. He always got what he wanted.

Needless to say, she immediately plopped into her springy bed in her one-room apartment when she got there, tossing the keys on her nightstand. She didn't even try to shower, or make herself some tea. Sleep welcomed her quickly.

"Miwa," she heard a voice say. It was smooth as a raindrop over a lily, quiet as a mouse. When she peeled her eyes open, she noticed the feudal-style building, the bridge, the blossom tree that reached over the stream. The woman stood at the opposite end of the bridge, her raven-colored hair flowing with the wind. Something told her legs to move, and she did. As she got closer, she smelled mint tea- her favorite. The woman before her was stunning to behold. Her pale cheeks colored in the lightest of pinks. Her amber eyes soft and beautiful. Her features, though bold, were smooth at the edges. Her hands delicately wrapped around the steaming cup, stretching out toward Karai. She was surprised at herself as she took it. She could no longer feel the hatred, the confusion, the desperate search for approval. She was safe. And accepted. She was loved. The woman said nothing, and started to walk toward the house. She followed willingly, surprising herself once again. She waited for the doubt to settle back in. For the betrayal to be in the front of her mind. But she'd left it. On the other side. When she glanced backward, over the bridge, it was dark. Foggy, uncertain. This side was bright, colorful, sure. She took a sip of the tea, smiling when she realized it was her favorite temperature. It was freshly picked and dried mint and herbs. The house before her wasn't particularly large- but was filled with open space when she walked in. The door slid shut on it's own behind her, but she didn't care. She could spot one anywhere; she was standing inside a dojo. The woman turned around again, smiling.

"Miwa," she said again.

It hit her then.

"Tang Shen. _Mother_."

Her cup rolled out of her hand as she sprinted for her. She didn't hear it crash to the floor- she didn't care. Her arms wrapped around the woman and she felt her eyes sting with tears. They flowed freely out of her- grief, fear, joy, rolled into one. She did not feel ashamed. She did not feel weak. She felt whole. Well, _almost._

"You're not real. This is a dream?" she asked as she calmed. Her voice wavered.

When she glanced up, her mother merely smiled.

"I am real, my daughter."

For the first time, Karai felt anger.

"Then why haven't you come to find me sooner?!" she said, pulling away.

"You were not ready."

"What? I was- I was _always_ ready. I've waited my _whole life_ to-"

"Miwa, you do not understand. You never have. Oroku Saki has…" Karai watched as the woman stumbled back, horror twisting her face and limbs shaking as a fire ignited on her robe and a small dot of crimson turned into a pool on her abdomen. Her beautiful silk dress stained dark red, and the fire spread over her, singeing her skin. She could smell it in the air; burnt hair and burnt flesh.

"MOTHER!" she shouted, racing toward her again. Tang Shen screamed, stumbling back even further, clutching her gut with one hand, the other reaching out toward Karai. She was stopped by a large force. A strong, authoritative arm bent around her waist and she thrashed against it.

"Calm down, Miwa. It will subside."

She'd know that deep, comforting baritone anywhere.

She looked up at him angrily, but her lungs stopped working.

He was a man again.

His skin was pale, but hard like ivory.

No fur coated him.

He had no snout, no whiskers.

He was Hamato Yoshi.

Her father.

She knew because his eyes were the same; they were commanding but soft. Brutal but loving. She glanced back over where her mother was, but she had disappeared. The anger in her surged up inside her once more.

"You let her die! _Again_! You-"

"That is not so, my daughter."

She whirled around to see Tang Shen closing the gap between them.

"I-I don't… Understand, I-"

"In this life, in this world… We may not speak of our foes, for they are no longer important," her father said. He laid a hand on her shoulder and her mother took her hand.

"But, I…" Realization creeped into the back of her mind, and a part of her shoved it away, unwilling to accept it. "If mother is… Then you…"

The two gave her a sad smile.

"No," she gasped.

Suddenly, it was all too much. She watched as the world tilted and felt her consciousness slip, but not before she heard the two speak in perfect unison.

"We love you, _Miwa_."

She jolted awake in her bed, sweat pouring down her back.

Outside, a storm voiced it's arrival, and rain slid down the window. She pressed two fingers to her carotid, counting for a minute on her watch, and she knew she wasn't dead. She wasn't in hell. She was back in Japan, in her apartment, on her creaky bed, within the four stained walls. Next to her, she felt the presence of her cell phone. She picked it up and made some calls. Thankfully, Saki would be too stupid to think she'd go back to an old number. His goons wouldn't catch her. When the phone rebooted, it heralded two voicemails. She hesitantly clicked on the first one. It was an unknown number, but she knew better.

 _Karai...Master Splinter… He was… Poisoned. By The Foot. I thought you should know. It could, um, be any time now. You probably won't hear this, but I guess I just…I wish you were here._

The air was sucked out of her at the hurt in his voice. The pain she felt. Tears stung her eyes and her lip quivered, but she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before clicking on the second. She squared her shoulders and listened.

 _He's gone._ His raspy voice was empty, cold. He paused for a long time before continuing. _We're having a ceremony in two days. At the farmhouse._

Her hand shook as she searched for the date it was received, and she cursed it. In a fit of anger, she smacked her own hand so hard, welts formed in the shape of her fingers. She swore under her breath, and saw the message was from this morning. She'd have time to get there, if she left within the hour. She immediately ran to her landlord, throwing all her rent at him. Before he questioned, she stated she was moving. And it should cover the rest of the month. At the closest stop, she hailed a cab and threw enough yen at the woman to make her tear up. When she explained she needed to be out of the city and into the airport as soon as possible, she didn't hesitate to slam her foot on the pedal, getting Karai there in a quarter of the time.

She remembered the smell of mint tea and cherry blossoms as she traced the walls of the empty dojo. A quiet serenity had settled over the lair since the turtles left. She stopped at the small shrine in the wall, running the tips of her fingers over the picture of them, holding her. Her arms ached for their embraces again, though she knew that they'd never come. Karai knew what she was doing, being in New York. The risk she was taking was not a light one, but she had to. Hadn't she? They were family, when no one else was. Yoshi was her _father_. She couldn't help how much of an outsider she felt, no matter how welcome Leo tried to make her. Even when she was hiding out, away from The Shredder, she knew they didn't trust her. Especially April. But despite all of that, she'd gone out of her way to make her feel welcome… The thought of her made Karai flinch. She hoped truly, that she was alright.

Guilt was a feeling that Leonardo was no stranger to. Leading a team and being the oldest brother, it went hand-in-hand. The Shellraiser was silent as they sped through the streets, and he couldn't help but think about how this night did _not_ go as planned. _Oh, don't play that. You didn't have a plan you ran away._ He kept his eyes on the road, thinking of April and how he should've known something was going on. But he let himself get distracted, and now one of theirs is in danger. _If hadn't made an impulsive decision to back out, then-_

"Leo, _watch out_!" Donnie shouted just before he slammed on the brakes in front of a crowd of civilians. All of them were running the opposite way, and his gaze followed to April's building, which emitted a powerful and hot blaze that he could feel even through the glass of the van.

"Holy _shit_ do you think-"

"Raph, Mikey, you guys go take out- Donnie! Wait!" Leo parked the van and turned it off, fumbling with his seatbelt and following Donatello outside, toward the screaming people. Most didn't notice, but some cowered away, shouting even louder as they picked up their pace. He didn't notice their cries as much, when he felt his brothers behind him. He could see the tension in the purple-banded turtle's shoulders and neck. His genius brother's brain was running at ninety miles per hour, so he shut up and fell in line behind him. He led them into an alley that stunk of the trash that was strewn everywhere, then behind the building, where they could stay out of sight. They each kept their eyes peeled for any sign of her; some red hair, her t-phone, even her father. Leonardo hoped that he was far away for the fire and the explosion. From what April had told them, he had been getting better, but his nightmares were still horrific and with all the drugs they've put him on, he hasn't really been himself. Donnie didn't say much, just when to turn and where to go. After awhile, he turned back to them, eyes wide with fear.

"I-I don't understand, my scanner said she should be right here-"

"Donatello?" a scratchy voice asked from somewhere to their left. Their heads whipped to a car flipped upside down, and he gasped. He ran over, skidding to a stop on his knee pads.

"Mr. O'Neil?! Don't worry, I'll get this off of you in no time, I just-I need-"

"Donatello, please, I can't find April. Where is she? Was she with you?"

"Mr. O'Neil, I have to get you out-"

"No! Find A-April, _please_! I'll be fine! I'm fine! Just _find_ her!" His bloodied hand reached and slapped against Donnie's arm with an iron grip.

"Guys! Try and get him out. I'm gonna go look for her."

"What?! No way. You're not going by yourself!" Raphael stepped away from the car, puffing up his chest.

"I _am_ going by myself. April needs me." He pulled his bõ staff out and immediately started to sprint, vaulting himself onto a fire escape. Raph pulled out his sai and began stalking off toward him, when Leo spoke up.

"No, Raph! Let him go. We need to help Mr. O'Neil!" When he turned, his eyes were wild with fury and he ran back, stopping mere inches from Leo's face.

"Don't you go barkin' orders _now_ , Fearless!" he shouted, spinning the handles around his fingers. Leonardo sighed heavily, jabbing him in the plastron with his elbow, earning a low growl.

"That doesn't matter right now, Raphael! What matters is getting Kirby _out of here_!"

For a moment, he stood, glancing back and forth between the fire escape and April's dad, before running toward the car. From what it looked like, it was just his legs that had been trapped. The vehicle had lodged itself on top of a trash bin, keeping it off of his back.

"Mr. O'Neil, can you crawl?" Leo asked.

"Y-yeah, I think so."

"Alright, on three Raph, Mikey and I will lift the car as much as we can. If you're free enough, start crawling, alright?" He nodded vigorously. "Ready? One, two, _three_!"

The brothers strained and used all their might to get the car off of the ground, but it barely budged. They set it down and glanced at each other worriedly.

"Again!" he shouted and they put all their might into it. The vehicle moved ever-so-slightly and Kirby scrambled out, leaning against the brick wall and panting. Mikey's eyes fell over something glinting in the light on his side, and ran over to inspect it.

"Guys! He's hurt, there's some glass…"

"What? No, I'm fine. I'm-"

"Mr. O'Neil! You're in shock. Don't move, I have to look at it!"

"Michelangelo, I'm fine-"

"Kirby, I need you to listen. You are _not_ fine. You need to hold still, man. I can't help you until you stop moving." Leo blinked, gaping at the maturity in his youngest brother's voice.

"What can we do, Mikey?" he asked, crouching beside them. He finally got a good look at the wound; a large shard of glass had lodged itself between two of his ribs, and blood flowed steadily from the wound. On top of that, his shin bone was practically snapped in half.

"Raph, Splint his leg. He's gonna need us to-"

"Well, well, well… what've we got here?" asked an all-too-familiar throaty voice. They all turned to see the giant wolf stalk down the alley toward them. Everyone unsheathed their weapons and a growl-like chuckle rumbled through his chest.

"Bradford," Michelangelo spat, swinging his nunchaku at his sides, crouching low.

"Figures you'd be here to save the day," he said, inching closer. Raphael's hands gripped his sai tight enough to cause blisters. "It's all apart of Master Shredder's plan anyway… What's this? Where's the fourth? Caught in the blaze?" Leonardo's nostrils flared at his quarries. The loss of their father stung harshly still; he couldn't bear to lose another member of their family. He simply wouldn't allow it.

"One more step and you're dead." The words were out before he could stop them- not that he wanted to. The mutant froze,his face turning up in an ugly grin. He lifted his paw off the cement and slowly began pressing it closer and closer. "I _mean_ it, _DOG_!" The words he'd intended to hurt no doubt did their job when he snarled, spit flying out of his mouth.

"You're gonna pay for that one, _freak_!" Raphael and Leonardo were on defense instantly. Without orders, Mikey stayed back to help a trembling and wide-eyed Kirby. He'd know what to do; he'd spent so much time in Don's lab, he picked up a few pointers, whether they thought him daft or not.

"Who're you calling a 'freak', _Fido_?!" Raph shouted, landing a blow on the wolf's jaw. His giant claws slashed away at nothing, as he ducked out of reach. Leonardo ran at him at full speed, forcing his foot into Bradford's side. The bony mutant yelped and Leo felt a smug grin cross his features when he heard a _snap_. As he flailed his claws about, glowing green eyes glinting with hatred, Leo tried to get Raph to see. But it was too late. A sharp edge sliced through the meat of Raph's inner thigh and he cried out, his knees buckling beneath him. Seeing the opportunity, their enemy swept Raph away with a hand, making him fly across the alley and hit the brick building. Hard. Shaking with anger, the turtle in blue hit the wolf's arms away before swiftly forcing himself up beneath his torso, katana outstretched. Rahzar was caught off-guard by the smell of his brother's blood, which bought Leo time to look for a soft spot. His chink in the armor. Right between and below the protruding ribs, Leo's sword easily parted the flesh with a squelch and an outpouring of blood.

"What?!" Bradford's eyes went wide as he stumbled back, blood coating his pointed teeth. Just when Leo thought it was over, that he was done for, the wolf lunged at him. He went to block the blow, but it never came. Instead, a whirr of silver crossed his field of vision and he watched as one of Raphael's sai lodged itself between his eyes. The green in them faded and they rolled back into his head as he fell and hit the pavement with a loud thud. The turtle in blue walked over and yanked his katana from the innards of the mutant. His stomach lurched at the sight of intestines; it wasn't the first time he'd seen them. Patrolling the streets of New York City at night wasn't an easy job, which meant seeing uneasy things. Not to mention their never ending battles with the Kraang and the Foot. It was something that he wished was not as familiar to him. Still, Leonardo felt the anger, white and hot flare up inside him. The kind that resulted in his arm injury. The kind that he used to tell his brother he needed to control. He jabbed the blade into the wolf again. And again. And again. He thought he heard someone in the distance, but his vision clouded red at the edges. Blood splattered up all over his arms and plastron. _Leonardo_ , a voice said. One that he would know anywhere. _Enough_.

" _Sensei_?" he gasped.

Nothing.

Shaking, he dropped his katana beside him, staring at his red-stained cloths. The voice echoed in his mind and his arms fell to his sides, his hands closing in fists.

"Thank you," he muttered. He turned to nod at his hothead brother, but didn't see him. His eyes searched, until they saw a flash of green on the cement. Mikey was shouting something he didn't hear; he was already on his way over. Raphael was lying on the ground, unconscious, with blood gushing from his leg. Leo remembered something Donnie had said a long time ago: _The femoral artery is located in the inner thigh. If someone gets cut there, do everything you can to stop the bleeding_ immediately _. Otherwise, they will bleed out within four minutes_. His blood rushed in his ears as he shook his brother. He needed to stay awake. That's all he needed to do. Stay. Awake. Out of the small supply bag he carried, he took a roll of gauze. His left hand reached for the wound.

"This is gonna hurt. But you have to stay awake. You hear me?" His emerald green eyes lazily rolled and met Leo's. He nodded. With that, he fumbled to pinch the flesh together, his hand slipping in the unstoppable flow of blood. When his hand steadied, he put the edge of the fabric between his teeth, yanking it free from the roll. It seemed he was wrapping endlessly. The fabric soaked through immediately after every layer. Something else Donnie said popped into his mind as tears stung his eyes and sweat poured down his neck. _Thankfully, our blood has many unique qualities. One of which, is the viscosity of it. It clots much faster, and easier._

"Come on, come on," he said, shakily dialing Donnie's number on his T-Phone. It went straight to voicemail. "Shit!" Above them, the building lit up again with another explosion, causing debris to fly about. Leo hunched over his brother, as a large slab of rock landed on his shell. He sucked in a sharp breath and another piece hit him in the back of the head, making his vision blur and his ears ring. Raph stirred beneath him, his browridge creasing. He heard Mikey say something to his right, but couldn't make it out, even as he glanced over. His orange-clad brother's arm pointed to a manhole cover a few yards away, and he immediately slung Raph over his back, running to it. When he dropped down into the sewer, another explosion resounded above them. _Come on, Donnie_!, he thought. _Pick up._ Holding Raph up, he pressed the phone to his ear, but it went to voicemail again.

"He's not answering- why isn't he answering?!"

"No time, Leo. We need to get them to the lair. Let's go!"

Mikey picked up the pace then, with Kirby groaning on his back.

He followed suit, trying not to think about the two spaces behind him that felt empty.

When they got to the lair, Karai ran out of the dojo immediately.

"Donnie's lab! Now!" Mikey shouted. While he set Mr. O'Neil on the table, his gut twisted. Raphael almost slipped off of his shell as he stumbled back. Karai pulled up the cot, watching his face.

"Leo. Help me get Raph on here."

His chest heaved and his gaze met hers.

"Leo. Now."

He blinked. His eyes drifted back to the table where Kirby sat, then her. _My son. Do as she says._ He shook his head, and was moving immediately. The voice caught him off guard at how clear it was. Raph groaned at the movement, and she finally saw what had happened. Her eyes grew wide and his arm swatted at her.

"Don' touch me," he muttered. " _Giddoutta_ here."

"I need sutures. And something to clean the wound."

"I said get _out_!"

"Raph, calm down-" Leo started, bringing back the supplies.

"Get your hands off me, you-you-" Suddenly, his head lolled to the side and his body went limp. She reached up, yanking the materials from his hands. He watched as she skilfully placed the material through the hook without a single flaw, poking it through his skin and tying the flesh together. To his right, Mikey was muttering under his breath, already patching up Kirby's side and getting to work on his leg.

"Mikey, do you need any-"

"No. Make sure Raph has a transfusion bag. He's lost too much blood. It's in the mini fridge over behind Donnie's desk." Leo nodded. When he opened the door, his stomach lurched slightly. Inside the color-coded (using duct tape) bags, the dark liquid sloshed and he reached for the far left, where the bags with red tape hung. Though he tried not to, his eyes drifted to the right, with the bags marked 'Splinter'. Gulping audibly, he slammed the door shut. He carefully carried it as he picked up the tubes and the needle and the sterilizing equipment. Having helped Donnie before, he knew what he had to do. His thoughts drifted to his purple-banded brother, hoping he was having better luck.

Pain woke April. A searing pain in her side. For a moment, she lay still, with her eyes squeezed shut. The heartbeat in her head pounded against her skull, but she noticed it was slow. _Not good_ , she thought. When she tried to move, even breathe, the pain in her gut was so strong, her stomach lurched. Shakily, her arm drifted down to the source. Warm blood soaked her shirt, though it'd crusted on the outside. She'd been lying there for awhile, she gathered. Her fingers moved some more and brushed against something cold and wet. Her lungs sputtered and she coughed raggedly, something choking off her air. When she finally hacked it out, the coppery taste of blood lingered on her tongue. Again, her hand felt around her side, sliding up what she now identified as some sort of pole. She gulped as her hand continued up and up, with seemingly no end, until her forefinger got caught on a jagged edge of it. _Not good at_ all _, April_. Briefly, she remembered running to the top of her father's apartment building, watching The Foot wreak their havoc. She called Donnie to- _Donnie_. Tears filled her eyes and a sickening thought rolled through her mind. _You're going to die here. In this dark alley. Alone._

"No," she muttered, swallowing the lump in her throat. "No."

Just then, next to her, a small light flashed. She turned her head carefully, thanking whatever's up there she'd had her T-Phone on her, and that it hadn't been destroyed. She reached for it, but her bloody fingers slipped against the plastic. She strained, clenching her teeth, and picked it up, seeing his icon pop on her screen. She clicked the green button.

"April! April! Honey!"

"D-Don…" Suddenly, talking was too much effort, and her eyes stopped focusing.

"April, stay on, okay? I need to ping your location. Where are you?"

"Don… I'm… I don't know if…"

"No," he said sternly. "April, I need you to-"

"Donatello." She hated using that tone with him, but she needed him to listen. "I'm… _please_ , will you just…" She coughed, tasting blood again. "I love you. I love you so m…" Her arm fell limp at her side, then.

She hoped he understood.

Slowly, her eyes closed and she shivered as the wind made her hairs stand on end.

 _You're going to die here._

 _Hey guys! I meant to update this earlier in the week, but music school is hard! And lots of work. I apologize! Also sorry for the short Chapter. I was gonna expand, but I was struggling with the end. Please leave any comments/suggestions/etc... Thanks for reading!_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five:

"April… You, uh… Said to call you. So this is me, answering your message. I had a late shift at work, so… Call me back. Bye." Casey sighed, kicking off his boots at the door to his one-room apartment. The television he'd left on blared with the staged laughter of some late night comedy show. He tossed his junk mail onto the counter and flung the refrigerator door open, illuminating the place in a blue-white tint. He grabbed a beer and using his teeth, popped the cap off, spitting it into the trash can, then plopped onto his futon, and flipped through the channels. Casey brought the bottle to his lips, noticing the smell of gasoline on his hands. He shrugged. It was something he'd almost taken pleasure in. He'd been there almost two years, fixing trucks for delivery companies. It wasn't much, but it paid the bills and it kept him out of trouble, which he knew his sister was happy about. She'd bitched him out the last time he ended up in a dumpster. It was her Senior Year and she wasn't gonna let things get fucked up "just 'cause he's nothing but a trouble-making thug". That one had stung. He didn't used to need her to dig him out of the trash, but the turtles had stopped patrolling, and he hardly got through to them anyway. Up until recently, he'd talked to Raphael at least once a week, but… things change.

"Pssh, last time I'm calling _her_ ," he said quietly to himself in the dark, sighing, thinking of the cliche 'good ol' days'. He longed to feel that thrill again.

Deep down, he knew how right she was. Being a vigilante was fun and it gave him a sense of worth. Of importance. But it did nothing but bruise him up and cause problems for the people closest to him. And that was what was important right? It's what made you an adult. Putting others first. _You could always start up again._ He shoved the thought back into it's cage.

When he finally set his alarm and pulled the futon down into his bed, a glint of pink caught his eye. He reached over and pulled a pair of panties out from underneath a pillow. He smiled a little and tossed them into his hamper. At least he knew he hadn't dreamt it up. He felt a tingle in his gut as the memories flooded back… His hand in her hair, the way her back arched- it was cut short by his phone buzzing.

"I'm trying to sleep. This better be good."

"Casey! Thank God."

"Leo?"

"Did you hear?"

"'Bout what?"

"There was an explosion. The Foot- they went after the O'Neils."

"They _what_?!"

"Kirby's alright. Mikey patched him up, he was trapped under a car. Donnie's out looking for April. We haven't heard from him. I thought… maybe…"

"Fuck." He smacked his palm against his forehead. "She called me earlier. I was at work-"

"Casey you should come below. It's not safe up there right now." Of course. Fearless Leader Leo here to save the day. _More like boss everyone around_.

"Leo, it's not that simple. I can't just up and leave anymore. I have a _job_ , bills to pay-"

"I get it. I do. But-"

"Oh, come on Leo, I need this job alright? It's the only way I can afford a place of my own. Besides, I can take care of myself."

Leo sighed angrily on the other end.

"Listen, I don't want to be at fault here for not at _least_ warning you. And I don't care about your beef with Raph-" Casey _humph_ ed audibly.

"Whatever," he whispered.

"The offer still stands. If you need it, we'll be in the lair. You're always welcome here."

Casey rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. Thanks, man."

"If you come down, call before. Extra security and all that."

"Got it."

"Take care of yourself, Jones."

"You too."

 _Click_.

Almost immediately, his cell rang again.

"Leo, I get it okay? I'm always welcome-"

"Casey. I need your help."

Not the voice he was expecting.

"Don? What's-"

"Sh-she fell. I need your help."

"Who, Don? What's going on?"

"The explosion. She was scoping it out, waiting for us, and the building it- she fell."

 _Shit_.

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Hurry."

The bike screeched to a halt as Casey parked it, immediately jerking the kickstand in place with his heel and running. He didn't really know where. He tried to ignore the blazing inferno engulfing the building, and the bodies and the sirens. He needed to find them.

He rounded a corner, skidding to a halt at the sight of Donatello on his knees, covered in blood. Casey's heart lept up into his throat when their eyes met. The turtle's hands fell limp beside him, and as he inched closer, Casey saw hers lying in his palm.

"Don?"

"Did you bring what I asked?"

"Don. What h-" all the air hissed out of him at once, as he stepped aside and his eyes fell over the bloody metal pole. Raggedly and slowly, her chest rose and fell. " _God_."

"Casey. The saw."

He blinked.

 _Oh, right._

He reached for the backpack slung over his shoulder and crouched next to Donnie with it. He snatched it away, digging around distractedly.

"Don…"

"You need to hold it. Just below where I cut."

"What?"

"If it jostles around too much, it can hurt her more. We don't have time. Casey, here." His large green hand pointed to a place on the metal. He gulped and wrapped his hands around it. With all his strength, he held the thing in place, even as the saw pierced through it. After a particularly rough twitch of the metal, April's eyes shot open and she stared at him with piercing blue orbs. He pressed his forearm against her collarbone to keep her from moving too much.

"D-d- _hng_!" Her body bucked underneath his hold, and he gritted his teeth, blinking away tears.

"It's gonna be alright. Shh."

She dug her nails into the flesh of his arm, gritting her teeth. Tears stained her cheeks. She glanced over at Donatello, whose eyes remained focused on the task at hand. She looked back at him.

"You're gonna be alright."

"Leo. Raph is awake."

He turned from his spot on the floor of the dojo to see her, flicking her hair out of her eyes. In her hands, was a red-stained towel. She put a hand on her hip, and he noticed her jeans were stained as well. He tried not to let his eyes drift elsewhere.

"How is he?" he asked, getting up and starting toward her. She threw the fabric over her shoulder.

"Disoriented. A little humiliated. An _ass_ , like always."

"What'd he do now?"

"Nothing I can't handle…" He knew it was a little sexist of him to want to protect her. (April had told him so more than a few times). To wish that she'd let him be in charge and let him defend her. But he wanted to, nonetheless. He made a mental note to talk to Raph about his behavior. "Heard anything from Donnie?"

"Not yet. I've been checking my T-Phone for almost 2 hours…" He rolled the device around in his hands, sighing.

"Do you want me to-"

"No."

"Leo-"

"It's too dangerous and you know it. He'll be looking for you!"

She took a step closer, anger flaring up in her stomach.

"I can take care of _myself_ , Leo! Just like I always have!"

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" he shouted. Her eyes grew wide. In the silence following, a distant subway train could be heard rolling through the tunnels. He turned from her, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. _You must not allow her to leave, my son,_ the voice said. _I know, Sensei_.

"Then what _is_?"

"I… Just..."

He walked carefully over, standing inches from her. His heart hammered in his chest as she stared up at him, clearly thrown off by the encounter. Her amber eyes flicked to his, and he held her gaze. The air in the room shifted, as she took a hasty step forward. His plastron brushed against her chest and she shivered. Her chin tilted slightly to the side and she licked her lips, looking up to his. His breath caught in his throat as he gulped. She watched his throat bob with a hungry look. She started to lean in and her eyes began to close. Her nose brushed against him, and he dodged her, taking his katana out and reaching over her to place them on the rack. Her face burned bright red, and she froze in place, fists clenched beside her. He grabbed the picture frames and placed them softly in her hands. She huffed and turned away, as he put his hand on her shoulder.

"Please… Stay below?"

She glared up at him through her eyelashes, smacking his hand away.

He walked out the door.

 _Keep an eye on her, Leonardo_.

Her hands shook with anger and she cursed at him every way in Japanese.

He wasn't the boss of her. She'd proven time and again that she could take care of herself. He couldn't just pop into her life again and act like he was in charge of it.

"I'm not your goddamn puppet," she spat, at no one. Wind _wooshed_ through the grate above.

She put the photos of her mother and father back in their places, already beginning her escape route, when she heard commotion outside. As soon as she opened the door, she was greeted by a wide-eyed Donatello. She gave him a once over briefly, seeing the dirt, and the… blood?

"MOVE!" he shrieked.

She stepped out of the way, catching Leo's pale gaze. When she looked back over, they were carrying April's limp body through the room on- _is that the top of a garbage bin?!_ _What the hell happened?!_ Casey stepped out of the way, and she noticed him limping. Karai walked over and put a hand on his shoulder. He hit it away, eyes locked on April. She followed his gaze, and that's when she saw. A large gaping hole inflicted her right side. Blood gushed from the wound, staining the clothing around it. Her head was injured as well, soaking her hairline. Her left ankle swelled up uneasily large, purple and black.

"Donnie, what do we do?"

"Back off," he spat. "I need to do this. It's tedious, and I have the steadiest hands."

"What do you _need_?"

"Blood. O-neg. It's in the fridge. Scalpels, oxygen, sutures, uh, my defibrillator, just in case. The heart monitor. And a clean surface. A sheet, anything."

She guided Casey to the wall, where she helped him down. She tried to ignore the pain in Donnie's voice- the way he went into overdrive, barely interacting with them as he inspected her. Casey's breath hitched in his chest as he was lowered onto the floor.

"Fuck," he muttered, finally settling against the wall. He looked up at her, with surprisingly soft eyes. "Thanks."

"What happ-"

"NO! NO! APRIL, DON'T DO THIS!"

Karai's head snapped to Donnie, who was pumping the redhead's chest, tears leaving trails in the dirt and blood on his face.

"SOMEONE GET THE DEFIBRILLATOR IN HERE NOW!"

"Got it! Donnie, I got it!" Mikey's voice rang from the other side of the room. With all the supplies in hand, he knelt beside his brother, and they began work immediately. She heard the machine power up and he rubbed the metal together, as Donnie peeled her shirt away, checking for wire or metal clips. When they were in the clear, he grabbed the contraption from Mikey and pressed one side to her chest. The other, under her arm. She flinched as she watched April's limp body surge upward, and heard as Casey sniffled next to her. Guilt slithered it's way through Karai's guts, and she dipped out of the room silently. She slid her tanto out of her boot, seething, and started toward the turnstiles.

"Going somewhere?"

She spun around to see Leo standing, arms crossed, against the pinball machine. A browridge quirked up, and he gave her _that_ look. The one that he used on her when they first met. The smug, condescending, look of pity. It exasperated her to no end.

"I'm leaving."

"No you're not."

"Yes I _am_."

He followed her outside the lair, careful to watch the shadows.

"Karai, you are staying here. It's not safe."

" _God_ , Leonardo, do you _hear_ yourself?! Do you really want Saki just running free, wreaking havoc on the city?! On our-" she caught herself off guard, clenching her jaw. " _Your_ family?! I'm not your _pet_. You can't tell me when to sit and stay and roll over. _I_ call the shots. _Me_!" Leonardo stood stock still, the same look painting his features, and she dug her nails into her palms.

"Unfortunately, my daughter, Leonardo was right. It is not safe for you."

Her spine turned to ice as she spun around.

Out of the shadows of the tunnel, scraping his blades against the brick wall, was The Shredder himself.

Donatello could recall one time that he'd gotten angry at April. Just once.

It'd been a particularly gloomy time in their lives. Her Dad had just been admitted to the hospital again and she was staying with them while they figured everything out. Her Aunt moved to Jersey after the invasion. She was too spooked to keep her apartment in Manhattan. On top of that, Casey had been failing half of his classes and didn't tell her, until she was assigned as his tutor again. That didn't go over well. Adding on, exams were fast approaching and the Purple Dragons had recently joined forces with the Foot. Needless to say, everyone was on edge...

 _The loud boom of Splinter's staff hitting the floor caused the teenagers to stop, helping each other up and stand in a sweating, panting line._

" _Leonardo, Michelangelo. Against Raphael. Donatello, against April."_

 _He quirked a browridge up at her, smiling, and she rolled her eyes. His stomach sank as they took their positions across from each other. Awkwardly, he cleared his throat and pretended to cough into his hand. He knew she was still upset about her Dad, but… was going against him so bad? Did she… dislike him that much? What did he do wrong?_

" _Hajime!"_

 _The first to move was April, drawing her tessen and expertly throwing it so it arced toward his arm. He blocked the sharp edge of it with his bo, and it clattered to the floor. She ducked out of his reach to grab it again, chucking it at him once again. The turtle moved out of the way, flipping at just the right angle. He landed with his shell against her back. She jutted her elbow backward, toward his side, and hissed when he smacked her hand with his staff. He maneuvered his bo to launch himself over her head, landing in front of her, catching her off guard. She growled when she laid eyes on him, running at him again. This time, she sheathed her weapon, relying solely on her hands and her powers. He'd fought with her enough to know when she was about to use her abilities, and evaded the barely noticeable waves. Noticing her weak (and frankly very poorly executed) stance, he decided to go for her legs, crouching low and swiping his own around her ankles. With a yelp, she fell to the ground, and though he knew to move, he saw the defeated scowl settle onto her face. She came back, landing a blow against his jaw. She sneered at him, and he let her shove him, too. Just for extra kicks._ Maybe she'll feel a bit better after this, _he thought._

" _Stop!"the rat's voice could be heard over the sound of everyone's battles. They stopped again, lining up. Splinter stroked his beard and paced along them. "Donatello, why did you not counter? You had ample time to move before she struck you, yet you didn't."_

" _I, uh… I got distracted. I'm sorry,_ Sensei _."_

" _Oh, come on! You were going easy on her!" Raph said from the other end of the line._

" _Raphael, this is not the time-"_

" _With all due respect,_ Sensei _, he's sugar coating it for her! I don't think it's fair!"_

" _Is that true, Donnie?" she asked, through clenched teeth. He felt her stony gaze on him and he glanced away, rubbing his neck with his hand._

" _I… Just… I didn't want to hurt you-"_

" _That's not an excuse! This whole time, I've been thinking that I was getting better! Has-has everyone been doing this?! Does_ everyone _go easy on me?!"_

 _They all looked at the ground._

" _SERIOUSLY?!" she shouted._

" _Enough! We will go again. Same groups._ Now _."_

 _April huffed as she walked to her spot, and Donatello guiltily kept his eyes anywhere but on her. He pulled the bo out of it's sheath and dropped into his stance._

"Don't _go easy on me this time, Donnie. I mean it."_

 _Splinter shouted at them to begin again, and she went for him. He dodged every blow, with either his arms or his staff, and he watched as she got increasingly agitated. Guiltily, he allowed her the chance to get a hit in, and she pinned him on the ground with her forearm. He smiled slightly._

" _Oops," he said. He shoved her off of him then, and he jumped up, readying his bo._

" _Stop going easy on me!" April growled. His eyes widened as her temper got the best of her and she came at him with a force she hadn't used very often in training. She grabbed his shoulders and attempted to pull him down, into her knee. When that didn't work, she diverted to purely boxing with him, fists jabbing relentlessly. Expertly, Donatello grabbed her free arm, pinning it behind her back, and wrapped his bo around her neck._

" _FINE!" he yelled, releasing her from the hold and watching her smirk. "Your stance is weak. Keep your feet closer."_

" _What? Why?"_

 _Because then_ this _happens." In seconds, he swept his staff along her calves, knocking her to the ground again. He felt bad, and wanted to help her, but he knew it'd be counter-productive. She would only get angrier. She jumped back up, swinging her arms. He blocked and countered every swing, finally jabbing his elbow into her ribs. She cried out and he stopped, hands up in surrender._

" _April, I'm so sorry-"_

" _STOP!" she said, gripping her side. "I'm fine. Just fight!" She swung her leg up, nearly colliding it with his face, and he grabbed her ankle. With a twist, she was on the ground for the second time._

" _You can't just kick. You have to have good balance. A strong center of gravity. I shouldn't be able to knock you down so easily." Her jaw clenched, but she nodded slightly. She got up, and stood before him again, her arms up in defense. Before she could get a grip on her tessen, he smacked her wrist with his bo, knocking the weapon off her belt. She bared her teeth at him as she threw her fists at his face, sweat pouring down her forehead and neck. As her hits got sloppy, Donatello was able to grip an arm again, pressing it into the small of her back and spinning her around, kicking the back of her knees and causing her to fall, face-first against the dirty carpet. As she squirmed, Splinter's staff thudded against the ground again._

 _He let go, and she cursed under her breath. Donnie offered her a hand, which she refused, as she stormed off, rubbing her wrist and her side. He made a mental note to check her for anything serious later, taking a deep breath and getting in line with his brothers._

" _Enough for today. Showers, all of you. Then, you may have lunch."_

"Hai, Sensei _," they said in unison. He turned to her, hand out in apology, but she smacked it away. He brought it close to his chest, before turning away, watching the floor as he walked._

 _Later, after a few hours in his lab, he came to the kitchen to make another pot of coffee, to see her defeatedly playing around with her noodles. She dropped her chopsticks next to the bowl, and put her face in her hands. As the machine sputtered to life, he turned, resting his shell against the sink and crossing his arms._

" _Is something the matter?" he asked. She looked up._

" _No," she sighed. He quirked a browridge at her, and she looked around, making sure no one was within earshot. "Yes… I just… I thought I was getting better. I thought I was making real progress. And then-then I just couldn't get anything right today. Not a damn thing, and… I… How will I ever be a full-fledged_ kunoichi _, at this rate?"_

" _April, you_ have _been improving. So much. It's amazing, the progress you've made-"_

" _IT'S NOT ENOUGH!" she shouted, hitting the bowl with her fist, and spilling broth all over the counter. The coffee pot hissed to signal it's completion of the making of his beverage and his jaw clenched. He hoped no one else heard her. He couldn't help the exasperated breath that huffed out of him as he tossed a towel at her. "I-I'm sorry…"_

 _He shook his head._

" _You know, it took us sixteen and a half years to get where we are today. We didn't just decide to pick it up one afternoon! We've been taught under a highly trained martial artist our entire lives. You can't just expect to be an expert in two years! Honestly, April, it's insulting! Not everything will come so easy for you!_ Especially _this."_

 _She blinked._

 _He grabbed the pot by the handle, still hot, and stalked to his lab, slamming the door. He didn't want to feel guilty. He shouldn't. He_ didn't _for a moment. He plopped into his chair and began typing vigorously at the computer. He berated himself for yelling at her. Even more so, for it feeling… nice. He didn't see her the rest of the night._

Donatello felt that anger toward her as Mikey charged to two hundred and nothing happened. His vision darkened on the edges as more blood gushed from her wound and her body bucked with the shock. He ignored the throbbing in his head; the taste of bile rising up his throat.

"You promised me, _damnitt_! April, you promised!"

He pumped her chest again, the bandages on his hands sticking to the drying gore, a reminder that it was real. That despite him feeling as if he were stuck in some hellish nightmare world, reality never lies. She was dying before him. She was giving up.

He leaned forward, pulling her close to him, mindful of her wounds. Mikey looked at him worriedly.

"You can't do this to me," he said in her ear, swiping her bangs back. "Don't do this."

"Donnie." He felt a clammy hand on his shoulder. "She's g-"

Just then, her eyes popped open, and she wheezed as she took a gulp of air in.

"Oh, thank _God_."

"D-Don-nie… It hurts," she sputtered.

"I know," he whispered, tears spilling over, onto his mask.

"Don, we gotta patch her up. She's lost too much blood."

"Wha-" she was cut off by a coughing fit, her hand covering her mouth. When she pulled it away, she saw her pale skin stained with crimson. "Oh no. Oh _no_." Donatello laid her down softly as she wept.

"Shh, April, it's alright. You have to calm down."

Donnie gestured toward a syringe with his chin, as he grabbed the sutures and supplies to clean and dress the wound. Mikey nodded and attached the needle to it. He'd done it before- once when Raph had suffered a bite from Fishface and wouldn't stop freaking out. He'd screamed and thrashed, yelling about "bugs" and Mona Lisa. Donnie'd told him to inject it into his forearm. He fell asleep almost immediately. April's chest rose and fell rapidly, and her body shook with shock and blood loss.

"Stop moving, love. You're okay."

"It hurts. It hurts."

When Mikey finally got her arm still, he pierced her skin with the needle, glad that she didn't really notice. A pang of hurt went through him as he realized that she was delusional from the pain. Tears pricked at his eyes, but he blinked them back. He hated seeing people like this. Of course, he knew it came with the job. Being a ninja was not an easy profession. Splinter had indicated that to them from the very beginning. Still, it made him more angry than anything else, when his family was hurting. None of them deserved it. No one did.

"I know. I know. Shh. It's okay. You're alright, I promise. I love you." Donnie pet her hair and pressed his forehead to hers, whispering as she whimpered. Finally, her head lolled to the side and he laid her down again. Mikey leaned forward to hand his brother the tools to get to work, but saw his shoulders shaking.

"Donnie."

There was no response. He held her hand to his face and cried.

"Donnie."

No answer.

"DONATELLO!"

He blinked. Mikey gave him a stern, but encouraging look and the turtle in purple took a deep breath.

"We need to clean it first," he said. "Then I'll need sutures. If she starts to wake up, I'm counting on you to calm her down. And give her the correct dosage of the meds. Too much of them would be detrimental. So, I have to do this quickly. My hands will be busy so you _have_ to make sure she doesn't move, okay?"

"Got it."

"Let's turn her over and work on the back first. I have to make sure none of her organs were damaged. She can't lay open down here very long. It's likely that she's already caught an infection from the hike through the tunnels, so we need to prevent anything else from happening."

Mikey nodded. A million things raced through his mind. _How did you get all the way down here on foot without getting caught? How did she not bleed out? What happened to Casey's leg? Are you okay?_

He said none of them.

Now was the time for action, not questions.

When Donnie gave him instructions, he did as he was asked. When Donnie pointed, he handed him a tool. When his hands shook, he steadied them.

As they finished cutting the last stitch, a large _crack_ and a _boom_ sounded behind them, emitting a blinding light, and they were suddenly launched across the room.

The last thing Donatello saw was her face, before his skull cracked against the wall.

 _Hey guys! I'm so sorry this took so long... I've really been struggling with this Chapter and exams and juries and such... But here it is! Thank you so much for reading! It means the world to me. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to ask me!_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six:

Tiger Claw was not one to feel remorse. It was his job to feel nothing. It was his calling, to kill. Admittedly, it was hard for him at the beginning, though he wouldn't tell his secret to another soul. Taking a life was no easy task. It took guts. It took nerves of steel. And as he stood before the remainder of the Hamato Clan's burning and crumbling lair, he did feel something. But, it was not sadness. It was not regret.

It was victory.

It permeated the air.

Made him drunk with power.

They were finished, the lot of them.

Done.

"Come, Tiger Claw. We must leave this place," Saki said, stalking away with his head held high. His nose twitched and his ear flicked back. Did he hear something? There was no way they could've survived a blast of that caliber. Yet, they always had. They'd always come back.

"I feel I should stay, Master. Make sure that the turtles and the girl have perished."

He stopped, and turned his head.

"I am certain they are gone."

Tiger Claw glanced back one final time, before following the Shredder into the dark tunnels of the sewers for what he hoped was the very last time.

Leonardo had watched as the rocket soared past his head. It was so fast. One minute, they had him cornered. They were winning. The next, he felt the boom of the blast, before the roof inevitably caved in on him. He saw it all happen before his eyes, and yet, he stood there frozen. He tried to say it was because he couldn't have foreseen Tiger Claw emerging from the shadows with a huge rocket launcher. But he _should_ have. Oroku Saki never completely fought his own battles. He always sought out deception to gain the upper hand. He tried to tell himself that even if he'd warned them, their home still would have burst into flames. But he still _should_ have. Leonardo felt pain as his awareness flared up in the back of his skull. There was so much _pain_. Everywhere. When his eyes finally opened, he could see only rubble before him. But he could smell smoke, feel the heat from the fire on his face. When he tried to cry out, his throat was raw and his lungs were tight. He coughed and sputtered and with the movement, realized his legs were trapped. His right leg slipped free with enough effort, but his left wouldn't budge.

"Donnie!" he shouted. "Raph! Mikey! Ap-April?! Kirby?! Karai, _anyone_ -"

"L-Leo?! Where are you?!"

"Mikey! I'm outside the turnstiles! My leg. My leg- it's trapped. I can't-I can't get out."

"I'm coming bro!"

Leonardo heard his youngest brother approach, watching as pebbles rolled along the rubble before him. A pang zipped through his chest when he realized that the stone was from the wall of the dojo. _How did it get all the way over here?_ He pushed the thought out of his head.

 _You must find your family, Leonardo_.

The unmistakable authority in his father's voice made him shiver.

 _Do whatever it takes_.

The orange clad turtle could finally see his eldest brother, trapped beneath a heap of rubble, and he tried not to focus on the crushed limb beneath it. He could feel himself getting overwhelmed, but he knew it wasn't the time. They needed to get out. And they needed to find the others.

"Mikey? Have you found anyone else?"

"N-no." Leo clenched his jaw, cursing into the dirt.

He took a deep breath, and walked to his brother's side.

"On three, I'm gonna try to lift this. Ready?"

"Yeah, yeah…"

Michelangelo dug his fingers beneath the stone slab and counted. With a loud grunt, he attempted to heave it upward, but failed. He tried to ignore the searing pain in his shoulder, the blood running down his forearm. _Just get him out. Just get him out._

Leonardo winced as the weight settled back onto his injured ankle.

"I'm gonna try again. One, two, _three_!"

Again, he strained to lift the rock, and the turtle in blue carefully shimmied out from underneath it. He hissed as his leg dragged against the cement; and when he glanced back to inspect the damage, nausea creeped it's way up his throat. His foot faced his other, toes pointing inward. It swelled large and purple. _A minor setback. Your family comes first. Find them._

"We have to find the others-"

He paused.

Clean through Mikey's shoulder, just under his collarbone, a small piece of a pipe jutted out. Blood stained his arm and plastron, and his face looked ashen and pale. His stomach dropped.

"Your-"

"I know. Come on." With a slippery hand, he helped Leonardo to his good foot, and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. He hissed when his finger accidentally brushed the metal rod. "We have to splint that."

"No time. We have to find them."

"I know, but it'll be no use if your foot is… backwards."

 _Whatever it takes, Leonardo._

Limping a few feet away, they found a sturdy wall to lean against, and gathered the straightest pieces of wood they could find. Michelangelo ripped a portion of the wrappings from his hands and kneeled beside Leo, placing the makeshift splint next to his busted ankle.

"This is going to hurt. A lot. You'll want to bite down on something-"

"Just g-get it over with- _AGH_!"

With a yank, he adjusted the ankle, trying to ignore the sounds of the bones setting and cracking against each other. Leo screamed in pain, before falling limp against the wall. He knew he'd probably pass out. It was basically inevitable. He'd almost hoped he would; his brother was starting to lose his shit, and that isn't what they needed. What they needed was focus, and to locate the others. Making sure the area was secure, he began scoping what was their home in search of his family. He tried to think back to before the explosion. What rooms had been occupied by whom. Mikey tried to remember how it used to look, with the roof still intact. Their used-to-be lair was now nothing but a heap of burning memories- ones that were too painful without Splinter anyway. The pain in his shoulder was getting distracting. He was losing his strength, losing too much blood. He stumbled to the last place he'd been; the dojo, which had completely caved in, minus one thing.

The tree.

There wasn't a scratch on it.

He swayed before it, stung by grief. It was almost enough to send him over the edge; to let it overwhelm and engulf him, but he paused.

"Focus, Mikey," he said to himself.

Under every scrap of metal, every chunk of wood, he searched, aware of the fire getting hotter against his skin and the very real damage that was done to their beloved home.

"Don?! April?! Raph?! Casey?! Kirby?!"

Nothing.

With his good arm, he continued moving chunks of rubble piece after piece, calling for them- for anyone. It was minutes before he finally saw a glimpse of something; a flash of green. Erratically, he began to dig away at the mess, not caring that his fingers were splitting open or that his shoulder was stinging. _He's fine. They're fine. It's gonna be okay._ A soft groan came from under the concrete, and the arm twitched.

"M-Mikey?"

"Raph!" Disregarding his injury, he pulled back a large slab of cement, to see his brother face down against the floor, minor burns inflicting his arms, and his shell cracked down the center. A large gash above his eye bled profusely down his face and into the dirt.

"I'm gonna get you out! Just-"

Behind them, a wire sparked and popped, starting a flame against the wall, where a pipe had busted open. Michelangelo's head whipped to the direction of the sound, following the trail of the leak all the way to- _no._ Not even feeling the pain through his shoulder anymore, he began furiously tossing rubble off of his brother, though it seemed that every time he took one, another replaced it. All the while, the flame slithered it's way closer to them- to the gas pipes above them. He'd been called stupid his whole life, but even he knew that wasn't good.

"Mikey, the others."

"I haven't- I mean, Leo, but-"

With another crack, the fire began to spread around them. He reached underneath the rubble and took his brother's arm, attempting to heave his brother out, only to find more cement fall, nearly crushing him again. Glancing up, he saw the source of the death trap; the ceiling had caved in, pinning Raphael beneath an immense block. No matter what, even if he could move him, they would just get stuck again. _No. There's a way to fix this. I know there is_.

"You have to get out! You hear me? Find the others!"

"Raph! Shut up! I'm trying to think-"

"I'm not getting out of here, and you know it," he said, calmly.

Michelangelo blinked.

He smiled up at him, tears filling his eyes.

 _I'm not losing you too,_ he thought.

"No. I can do this. I can get you out!"

The turtle in red was suddenly racked with a cough, spitting up blood against the already stained pavement. He squeezed his eyes shut, before looking back up to the youngest brother, and reaching out his hand. Mikey did not take it. There was no point in giving up- he was going to save him.

"I'm not gettin' out."

With a shaking hand, Michelangelo reached for more concrete, throwing it to the side, blinking back tears. He shook his head. _He's gonna be fine. I'm gonna fix this._

"No! Mikey! _Damnitt_! Listen to me! _Listen_!"

Raphael's hand came down on his brother's arm, and he dug his fingers into his blood-stained flesh. He could feel his consciousness slipping, knew it was only a matter of time before the flames reached them. He knew he wasn't going to make it out.

Michelangelo peered down, feeling his brother shake against him.

"I'm not gettin' out... I'm not gettin' out, and I need you to do this. For me, alright? Find the others. Get-get them to safety."

"Raph-"

"Take care of them. You got me?"

"Stop talking like that you're gonna be-"

Behind them, the fire rose again, getting hotter. Another wire sparked and hissed, sending a blaze toward the entrance.

He squeezed his brother's arm again, and let go.

"Take care of them," he said.

The orange clad turtle glanced at him, tears streaming through the grime and blood on his face. Raphael smiled slightly, before his eyes finally drooped shut, and his hand fell limp against the ground.

"No! Raph, look at me, look at me-"

"Mikey?!" A voice shouted, to his right.

"Donnie?!"

Keeping an eye out for the flames, he made his way over to him.

"I've got April under here. She's-she's breathing. Barely."

Donatello sat against the wall, with a large piece of rubble against his plastron. With an effort, he lifted it up high enough for Mikey to drag her out. She felt cold, despite the flames encircling them, and he gulped. She needed to be somewhere safe, and fast. He heaved her over to the wall, where he sat her up, and went back to his genius brother.

"I-I'm gonna lift this. Ready-"

"No! Mikey, please. You have to get April out. Have-have you seen-"

"Leo passed out when I set his ankle. But he's fine. R-Raph- he's… but when I get you out, you can help me. We can get him out, we just have to-"

Donatello grievously dropped his head.

"Mikey. I-I can't… I can't feel my legs."

The orange clad turtle shook his head.

"One, two-"

"I'll be fine! Get April and Leo to the Shell Raiser. It's parked a few yards past-"

"But-"

"Just do it! Now! I promise, I'll be f-fine. Just- agh!" His hand flew to his side, between his shell and plastron, where a sharp piece of wood protruded. Behind his head, a splatter of blood smeared the concrete. "Go, Mikey! Now!"

"Donnie, _please_ , let me-"

"GO!"

He blinked, bewildered at his gentle brother barking orders, before stumbling over to April.

"I'll be back!" He reassured his siblings. "I'll be back for you!" He tossed her over his shoulder again, smelling the potent scent of gas. His heart hammered in his chest as he watched the fire get even taller, making sweat form across his arms and neck. It didn't take long to find Leonardo, who was hobbling toward him. Another part of the ceiling fell, completely destroying the turnstiles.

"Donnie? Raph?"

"We have to come back. But we gotta get you guys to the Shell Raiser, c'mon!"

"Wait!" a voice shouted. They spun around to see Casey, holding himself up with a large pole, making his way over to them. His hairline was stained crimson and the bottom half of his shirt was singed, leaving his midriff bare. A large gash colored his abdomen, and his jeans stained red.

"Casey!"

He stumbled up to them, eyes searching their faces frantically.

"He's still in there. So's Don. And Kirby."

"Then what're we waiting for?! We have to-"

"April's in bad shape, alright? I need to get her to the van."

"But-"

"Just-just stay here. I'm coming back."

Luckily the vehicle was closer than expected, and they made it there quickly. He helped Leo in first, wary of his ankle, before climbing in and lying April down, buckling her in. She groaned softly, eyes fluttering.

"Go, Mikey! We'll be fine!"

With a nod, he sprinted back to the wreckage, where Casey was already climbing the rubble. Within the small chunk of time, the fire had doubled in size and the roof had caved in in two other places.

"Casey he's over-"

He stopped, watching as the flames licked at the pipes above.

Casey was blubbering something unintelligible.

He glanced over at Don, who was screaming, but he could not hear.

He looked back up to the gas pipes, and watched as a bright, white hot light blinded him.

And instantaneously, he was cast against the wall of the tunnels.

He woke to screaming.

And a ringing in his ears.

He watched as Casey fell to his knees before the inferno and wept, beside a forlorn Leonardo. His brother's shoulders shook and his mouth moved, but what was said, was lost to him. Michelangelo's eyes wandered to the blaze; an inordinate wave of grief came crashing through him, making him dizzy. He stumbled to them, his legs like jelly.

"Leo! We have to get out of here!"

The look his brother gave him sent a chill down his spine.

Mikey helped him up, and turned to their human friend. His eyes fixated on the carnage, glistening with fresh tears that silently made their paths down his dirt-stained cheeks.

"Casey-"

"I never told him."

"We gotta go-"

"I never told him. I never told him. I-"

With his other arm, he lifted Casey from the ground, stumbling to the van, his ears still ringing. When he looked back, his stomach dropped.

The tree was gone.

 _I am so sorry it took so long... :/ I've been agonizing over this chapter forever. Thanks for reading! Comments and suggestions welcome!_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven:

 _Miwa_ , a voice said. Strong, commanding. But wise. _Get up_. Her mind trudged through the sticky fog, trying to make sense of it. Of anything. There was a dull ache in her head. Stinging sensations on her arms and chest. She felt her eyes open, but there was still only darkness. The sounds of whispering in Japanese could be heard somewhere in front of her, and she tried to sit up. Frantically, she attempted to remember how she got there. Or anything, really, but she couldn't. The more aware she became, the more she realized that she was badly injured. Her leg was broken, and her hair was crusted with blood.

The gears of the lock could be heard turning, and she coiled away from the light as the door opened. When she looked up, a figure appeared in the door, blocking the view. She assessed her surroundings in the light that was available. If she moved about a foot to the right, she'd be able to prop herself up on the wall. He stepped in and she clenched her jaw.

"The turtles are dead," he said.

And just like that, she remembered.

The explosion at the apartment complex, their injuries, the lair…

She shook her head.

"You're lying."

"I watched them perish in the fire. They are gone."

"You're _lying_!"

"Your little friends are _dead_. And finally, we can be a family again."

"You will _never_ be my family!" she shouted.

He raised a hand and struck her across her left cheek, and she could feel it instantly begin to swell. Saki crouched to her level, snarling, and grabbed her by her armor.

"I am the only family you ever had, Karai! I raised you! You are my daughter!"

She spit in his eye then, and he dropped her. She grinned.

"You _insolent little_ \- foot soldiers! Take her to the lab! Now!"

The men came in, taking her by her hands and feet as she squirmed. She managed to get a leg free, and kicked one square in his face, his nose crushing inward and upward. The man slumped to the ground immediately. The other one growled in her ear, pinning her arms behind her back, and shoved her against the wall. Her swollen cheek broke open as her bone snapped underneath her eye. Karai felt a sharp pain in her neck, before her eyes began to droop.

 _Elsewhere_

Michelangelo stretched, and peeled his eyes open, yawning as he sat up.

It was early.

The sun was still starting to come up, and a cool breeze made him shiver as he threw the sheets off. He sauntered down to the kitchen quietly, as to not wake anyone else. When he opened the fridge to inspect what to make, he realized there wasn't much. But eggs and toast would work for now. He made a note to go get groceries later. A light fog settled on the yard outside the tiny kitchen window, and he watched as the sun came through it. _What a beautiful morning_ , he thought. As the pan heated up, he reached for the old coffee maker and the grounds. _Don will probably want_ -

The pot clattered against the linoleum, dumping coffee everywhere, as a wave of grief knocked the air out of him. He gripped the counter and took a deep breath. How could he have forgotten? He'd watched as the lair lit up in flames. How could he have-

"Mikey?"

He spun around at the sound, to see Leonardo standing in the doorway. Tears stung his eyes, and he crouched next to the mess. The turtle in blue kneeled before him, scooping up what he could. He didn't say a word; just looked up at his youngest brother questioningly.

"B-butterfingers, amirite? Heh heh."

He merely nodded, extending a hand, and putting it on Mikey's shoulder. Since they'd arrived at the farmhouse, Leo had said next to nothing. And when asked questions, would promptly answer with single-word statements. Most of the time, he didn't answer at all. Late at night, he would sneak into the barn and be there all hours of the night. He did the minimal he had to do to help out, but otherwise sat in the same spot of the couch all day, staring out the window. It was a miracle that Don had thought to stock up on medical supplies the last time they'd stayed there. Mikey knew next to nothing about all the medical stuff Donatello did, so he had to look up a lot of how to take care of everyone's injuries (including his own). It wasn't long before Leo gave up his makeshift crutches. It wasn't like he moved much anyway. Still, Mikey was glad to see that he was healing quickly. April slept most of the day, getting up periodically to use the bathroom or eat, what little she could stomach. And even then, she needed help. She was shaky on her feet, and it would be a long time before her body would heal correctly. She cried a lot, though, at night. He could hear her across the hall. He checked on her once, only to be greeted with a lamp shattering against the wall beside his head, and her shouting at him. _This is all your fault! You didn't save them!_ He elected not to disturb her at night any longer. The one he was most worried about was Casey. He refused to eat anything, or even move. He stared catatonically ahead, whispering constantly to himself. The same thing, over and over; _I never told him._

Mikey finished breakfast, making plates for everyone. He kept his in the microwave, and made his way to the living room first. Leonardo looked up at him when he set the plate down on the coffee table.

"Eggs and toast, bro. Mikey-style. The best of the best. Just how you like it!"

Leonardo smiled up at him and nodded, still saying nothing.

He then started up the stairs, knocking softly on April's door.

"Come in," she said, barely above a whisper.

It was cracked, so he used his knee to push it open. She was sitting against the headboard with a book in her hand. He smiled, walking toward the bed.

"I made some eggs and toast," he said. "It's my best work. I've never made a batch so good." He set the plate down on the nightstand, and walked over, checking out her bandages and vitals. He went to the window to open the blinds.

"Wait," she said. "Can we leave those shut? I have a headache."

"Oh yeah, no prob. So, you wanna go for a walk today?"

She looked up at him exasperatedly.

"Mikey, I-I can't-"

"It's all good," he said, putting his hands up in surrender. "Whenever you're ready."

She nodded.

"Let me know when you're done with your plate. But try to eat, okay?"

"Yeah…"

He smiled and closed the door, taking a deep breath before knocking his knuckles against the other door. There was no answer, but he pushed it open anyway.

"Casey?"

The blinds were pulled shut, and he faced away from him.

"Casey, I have some eggs for you. You awake?"

He rounded the corner of the bed, and glanced down, to see him staring at the wall, tears making a puddle beneath his head. Mikey set down the plate, and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Casey? Can you eat something for me?"

He shook his head slowly.

"C'mon, for me?"

Again, he shook his head.

"He'd want you to."

Casey's brow turned up, and he knew he shouldn't have said it. But what was done was done. Mikey set the eggs and toast on the table and reached for him. He slung an arm underneath Casey's, and to his dismay, sat him up.

"Just a few bites. And then maybe a shower-"

"No," he croaked.

"You're right. That's pushing it. I'm sorry. Here…" He brought the plate over, and set it in his lap. "Take your time." After a few minutes, he picked up the fork, poking at the eggs for a bit. Mikey hated to see him like this. He barely recognized Casey Jones without his 'tough guy' attitude. He knew grief had many faces, but… he felt guilty for thinking it was 'out of character', so to speak. Casey raised the utensil up to his lips and took a bite of the eggs. Then another, and another. _Making progress_ , the turtle in orange thought. When about half of the small serving was gone, he set it all aside. Casey took a deep breath and looked over at him.

"I never told him," he said.

"Never told him what?"

"That I loved him."

 _Elsewhere_

"Stockman."

The man jumped and spun around, holding a small cage-like box.

"Yes, master?"

"Is it ready?"

"Yes."

Shredder turned and watched as his men buckled an unconscious Karai into the chair. A strap held her head in place, as well as her arms and feet. _Why did it have to come to this?_ , he thought.

"We will wait for her to wake up. And then you may proceed."

Stockman nodded, hands shaking, and scuttled away.

When she came to, Karai squinted around the room. She knew where she was. She'd been there before. The lab wasn't a place she cared to spend too much time in; in fact, she'd avoided it at all costs when she'd lived there. She suddenly remembered Saki sneering as he told her of her- of _their_ family's demise. She hoped they were alive; but the little hope she had was dwindling fast. A blast of that caliber should've killed _her. Do not blame yourself, my daughter_. The voice again. _But how can I-_ She shuddered as the air in the room shifted.

"I will give you two choices…" He came out of the shadows, looking smug. "You can promise to stay here, under my supervision, and become my second in command, as is your rightful place. Or…" He nodded and Stockman came forward holding the box. A pit began to form in her stomach, and she gritted her teeth. "You can do it the hard way."

Stockman pulled the brainworm out of the box, and sweat formed on her lip. She tried to free her wrists.

"No!" she said. The thing shrieked and she squeezed her eyes shut. "You can't make me!"

"Ah, but creature, is it not?"

that is the point, is it not?"

She struggled against her binds again, with the glimmer of hope that it would help, though she knew it wouldn't. Her pulse quickened as the twitchy man stepped closer.

"Back the _fuck up_ , Stockman! He's using you. Don't you see that? He doesn't care about your work! He doesn't-"

"Stockman!" Shredder shouted.

"He doesn't plan to keep you around, should you fail him, either. Remember Fish Face?"

His eyes went wide and she watched as a drip of sweat rolled down the side of his head.

" _Stockman. Now._ "

"I bet you just thought he was on some errand. I bet you thought that he wasn't strapped onto a rock and left in the heat-"

"STOCKMAN!"

"I bet you thought that there was finally someone who appreciated the science you do… If you wanna call it that. Donatello could-" she gritted her teeth. "Donatello could run _circles_ around you in this lab. You are _nothing_ compared to-"

"I DEMAND YOU OBEY ME AT ONCE!"

He jumped at the booming voice, nearly dropping the box, and walked around the chair. She started squirming again, and he looked at her pityingly from the other side of the room. There wasn't any point in struggling. She knew that. Still, the familiar sound of the worm screeching made her feel sick, and suddenly she was racked with a searing jolt of pain in her ear, barely hearing her own screams over the _thing_ shrieking and-

Leonardo bolted upright from the couch, drenched in sweat. His heart hammered in his chest, and he fought to understand where he was. It was dark, and the wind howled from outside. Saki's lab melted away, though the scent of sterile metal lingered. A light flicked on upstairs, a familiar voice whispering.

"Leo?"

"I'm okay. Bad dream."

"Me too." Quietly, Mikey crept down, heading toward the kitchen. He worriedly put a hand on his brother's shoulder as he passed.

 _She's alive_ , he thought.

"Warm milk?" he asked. Leo nodded, warily sitting down.

"And aspirin?" He clutched his head, and slipped his mask off.

"That bad, huh?"

Normally, Leonardo would wait to turn to meds for relief. Instead, he'd seek herbal remedies and meditation. But he didn't think those things would help him this time.

The sound of ceramic against glass, and the beep of the microwave could be heard, before Mikey opened another door, shuffling around in the pill cupboard. The machine _ding_ ed, there was more shuffling, and he came in with the two mugs. Carefully, he sat down, and handed him the pills. Then the milk. The steam rolled through the air, and he inhaled.

He bowed to Michelangelo, and he bowed back, looking slightly uncomfortable.

 _You must go to her._

Leonardo looked at his youngest brother pityingly. How could he leave him here?

 _You must go, my son._

"What were you dreaming about?" he asked. Mikey lowered the mug from his lips.

"I was… surrounded by Squirrel-a-noids, in the sewer. And I kept calling out for you and R… Raph and Don, but no one came. So I kept running; straight to the lair. It was on fire, and everyone was inside, yelling for me to help them, but the Squirrel-a-noids pinned me down, and I just had to sit there and-and _watch_ …"

Leo swallowed hard and put a hand on his shoulder. Tears gathered in the corners of Michelangelo's eyes and his heart ached for his little brother. He's been so strong for everyone…

"What about you?"

"Oh, just… about the fire. I-I watched it happen and I couldn't-"

"Nobody could've."

They sat in silence for awhile, Leo resting his elbows on his knees and glancing out at the yard before them, where crickets chirped. He would leave when he knew Mikey was asleep.

"I'm really worried about them," he said, leaning back into the couch. The turtle in blue looked back at him, suddenly struck by how old and worn out he looked. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked thin. "April… sh-she keeps this science book with her… It was Don's. She never puts it down. And Casey, he…" He trailed off, and Leo could see there was something he wasn't telling him. The brother in orange yawned and stretched. "You wanna see if there's some Crognard re-runs on?"

"Sure," he said, smiling. He tossed the remote to him.

After awhile of flipping through channels, they did in fact find some re-runs. Not long after, Mikey began snoring.

 _Now is the time, Leonardo. You must leave._

" _Hai, Sensei_."

He pulled a blanket over his brother and grabbed his bag. The door creaked as he stepped out into the chilly night. He took a last look at the old house before disappearing into the woods.

 _Hey y'all! I'm so sorry that it's been so long. And I know it's kinda short, but I have a plan! Thank you again for reading and feel free to comment or give suggestions!_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight:

April stirred in her sleep.

Someone was calling her name.

"Wake up!"

She peeled her eyes open, and sat up. The moonlight dimly lit her room and she searched for the voice. Her eyes felt too big for her head and her stitches ached.

"April!"

A chill ran down her spine as she turned toward the door. Her chest felt tight.

"D-Don?" He walked slowly over, crouching next to her. "Donnie," she whispered, tears stinging her eyes. With a shaking hand, she reached out to him. He leaned into her touch. "How…?"

"I need your help," he said, an oddly serious tone coloring his words. He stood abruptly as she stared at him in disbelief. Had it all been some sick nightmare? Some awful delusion? A sick joke her mind played on her?

"But how-how are you here? What happened?"

He looked at the floor.

And then it hit her. Like a cargo train.

 _This isn't real_.

"Oh," she huffed, feeling her lungs forgetting how to work. Her throat felt tight. He looked pityingly down at her, his eyes filling with tears. His jaw clenched and she could tell he was holding something back. Before she could get a word out, he spoke up again.

"There's not a lot of time. I need your help."

"O-okay. What is it?" she asked, though it pained her to do so. Whatever it was, she had to roll with the punches until she woke up, right? Just like every other dream. He wasn't real. _This_ wasn't real. He had been reduced to only a dream now… She shoved the thought away, grabbing handfuls of the sheets.

"Do you remember the story of the twin brothers?" She blinked. "The tale Dad used to tell us. About instinct."

She felt herself scrambling to find it in her foggy, messy mind. He stepped forward, ready to help her. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"They were- _gaah_!"

He suddenly doubled over, clutching his side as blood poured through his fingers. He toppled to the ground and she lept from the bed.

"Donnie! _Donnie_!"

The coppery scent stung her nose and she put his head on her lap. She placed her hand over his, but there seemed to be no source of bleeding anywhere. It coated her hand, like a fountain of warm water. His head was bleeding too, staining her pajamas. He felt cold in her arms and he shook as he tried to talk.

"April. Remember the twins. I n-need…" Donatello slurred the last word as his eyes rolled back and his jaw went slack.

"No! No, no, no, _Don_!" she sobbed.

She sprung awake, sweat coating every inch of her body. Her face was sticky with tears.

"It wasn't real, it wasn't real, it wasn't _real_ ," she whispered, her face getting hot again as she cried into her hands. With every hiccup and every sob, her side ached. But no matter how many times she tried to stop, she couldn't. All at once, an onslaught of fear and grief came over her, making it hard to breathe. He was there. He was standing right _there_.

But, there were no blood stains on the floor. It _wasn't real_. Her heart twisted at the thought of him, lying there on the floor, and she couldn't take it anymore. The walls were closing in and she needed to get the hell _out of there_. Slowly, she got up, using anything she could for support. The walls were cool to the touch, making her shiver as she slinked toward the door. Her arm shook as she held onto the door handle, but she opened it anyway. The air in the hallway was cold, hitting her like a wall. The banister was only about a foot and a half away. April shuffled to it, nearly tripping on the way, using it to guide her to the bathroom. It was still early. The sun was barely up, so she'd have the house to herself for at least a little while. She quietly shut the door behind her, locked it, and made her way to the tub. She bent to turn the knob, wincing as her stitches strained. Unhurriedly, she peeled her sweat-drenched clothes off and tossed them to the floor. She got rid of her bandages. _They needed to be changed anyway_ , she told herself. She thought of him again, cold and shaking in her arms, and nearly jumped into the shower, immediately reaching for the soap. She had to wash it away. Because no matter how many times she told herself it was a dream, it felt so _real_. And she could still feel the blood underneath her fingernails and the feeling of his head lolling out of her hands. April stretched her arm out, lathering soap all over, when her hand accidentally knocked the shampoo loose. It clattered to the floor, but when she bent to pick it up, her stitches pulled at the sensitive skin around them, and she cringed, sucking in a harsh breath. The sudden movement caused her to lose her footing and she slipped, hitting her head against the edge.

Leonardo shivered and pulled the sleeping bag up to his chin. The fire had long gone out, but he couldn't sleep. He listened to the sounds of the forest, his hand inching toward his katana. It was foolish of him to just walk out like that. He wasn't prepared- not like he should've been. In the morning, he would have to-

"Leonardo."

The turtle leaped up, drawing his weapon, but paused. Before him was…

" _Sensei_." Sliding it back into place, he bowed. He bowed back. "What-"

"I have come to give you a message, my son."

"You… you have?" He stepped closer.

"Yes." He put a hand on his shoulder, and Leo clenched his jaw. It felt so real. Why did it feel so- "Focus, my son." Leonardo blinked.

" _H-hai_."

"As long as the Hamato name lives, The Shredder will not stop. Oroku Saki is a broken man. He has let evil take over his entire life, his spirit. And while the darkness in him does threaten all you hold dear, you are stronger than you might think, my son. But you must _believe it_. The weaker you become, the stronger he does. And so, you must end what I could not."

"But what if I… He's taken everything. You, my brothers, our home. How can I-"

"NO!" he shouted. "No, enough! He has _played_ his games. It is time to put an end to his madness! As long as you live, he will _never stop_. He will _always_ strive to take whatever you have, so long you both walk this earth. Do you understand, Leonardo?" Splinter was gripping his arms tight, and he looked at the ground.

" _Hai, Sensei_."

When he looked back up, the rat was gone.

He sprang awake in his sleeping bag, sweating and panting. The morning was still cold, and the ground was damp. The sun was just beginning to rise; above him birds chirped the song of a new day, and he knew what he had to do.

Mikey woke up, feeling the pain in his neck before he even tried to move it. Sleeping on the couch was not a good idea. Not with the nightmares… He glanced around the living room, and Leo was nowhere to be found. Something felt off, and he started to get worried. It was still early. And a storm was rolling in. A dark, intimidating cloud loomed in the distance, and he shuddered. Today already felt like a bad day, and he'd barely opened his eyes. As he started to shuffle into the kitchen, he noticed the shower was on. _Maybe he decided to wash up_ , he thought, when there was a loud _thud_ and a crash. Immediately, he bounded up the stairs, to find April's door wide open and no sign of her. When he tried the door, it was locked. And the panic set in.

"April!" he shouted. "Answer me! Are you alright?" He yanked at the handle again, nearly pulling it free from the door. There still was no answer. So, he used his shell to slam against the door. The wood splintered, but it still didn't open. Panicking, he backed up, and ran full force toward it, jutting his leg out. It toppled in, halfway off it's hinges, and he went to the tub. _Oh, God, there's blood. There's lots of blood_ , he thought.

"April. April look at me." Her eyes moved rapidly beneath her lids, and she groaned. Her head drooped, and he saw a nasty gash near her hairline. The movement exposed her side, where her stitches had come apart. He grabbed a towel, and set it beside him, as he tapped lightly on her face. "C'mon, c'mon. Wake _up_!" Her eyes fluttered then, as she suddenly woke. Her hand gripped his arm so hard, it drew blood, and the look in her eyes made him sick to his stomach.

"Donnie!" she said.

She felt cold.

When her eyes opened, the air in the room shifted, and she felt a breeze waft over her. The water rolled down her skin, over her goosebumps, and she tried to sit up.

"Don't move. You'll only make it worse."

She gulped.

He was there again.

"D-"

"Shh, it's okay. Just don't move."

Warm tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. He knelt beside her, swallowing hard.

"I miss you," she half-whispered.

His jaw clenched.

"I miss you too."

He cleared his throat and stood again.

"Did you remember?" She blinked. "The story? About the twins?"

"I-I don't… no, I couldn't-I'm sorry." He sighed frustratedly and her eyebrows knit together. "Can't you just _tell_ me-"

"It's not that _simple_!" he snapped. Don pinched the space between his eyes and took a deep breath. "April… There _is_ a reason I'm here. It would be so much easier if I could just tell you, but I can't. You _have_ to remember."

"B-but. Donnie, I don't understand-"

His face twisted in pain, as his hand flew to his side. Blood gushed out of him, and he fell to the floor.

"N-not again! No, I need more _time_!" he shouted, his body shaking on the floor. She scooted herself to the edge of the tub, attempting to reach for him. He laid there with his hand outstretched, and covered in blood. They locked eyes as he let out a final breath.

Her eyes flew open, and she lurched forward, grabbing his arm.

"Donnie!" she gasped.

But it wasn't him.

Staring at her, was Michelangelo, his eyes wide with confusion. April felt the hot heat of embarrassment crawl up her neck, and she attempted to cover herself up. The movement made her neck move, when a sudden jolt of pain was sent down her spine. She winced, and touched her head. Warm blood coated her fingers.

"We have to get you up," he said, his arm jutting out with a towel. He looked at the floor, his cheeks rosy beneath his mask. Mikey reached in and pulled her out, wrapping her in the towel and helping her sit on the toilet cover. She felt sick to her stomach. _April there_ is _a reason I'm here._ The air went stale with judgement as she sat there; Michelangelo was cleaning the utensils to fix her stitches and clean her wounds. _You have to remember_. He stood before her, using one hand to tilt her chin, the other to clean her up.

"What were you doing, April?"

"What do you mean? I-"

"You called me D-" he gulped. "Donnie."

"A dream," she muttered. "It was a… dream. Just a…" Her lip quivered, and she looked down at her legs, pink lines running down them. The towel around her was stained red. He patched her head- luckily she didn't need stitches -and helped her stand. "What are-"

"I'm gonna get you some clothes. And that way," he grunted, putting her weight on him. "I can stitch you up…" She let out a breath through her nose, holding onto the towel. When they made their way into the hallway, she looked over to see Casey standing in his doorway on his crutches, looking distressed.

"Everything's fine, Case," Michelangelo said. "Go get some rest."

"She's bleeding," he said, his voice raspy and wavering.

"Everything's fine."

She looked over at him pityingly and saw the grief paint his now grey-colored features. He didn't look well. Not at all. Something about him was different. Like he was the shell of Casey Jones, but the insides had been vacuumed out. She shuddered.

They closed the door behind them, and shuffled to her bed. As soon as she was settled, he left quickly and came back with supplies. He went straight to her drawers. She felt light-headed, bewildered. _You have to remember_.

"Um, April, which-"

"I don't care."

"Okay…" Michelangelo rooted through her drawers until he could find what he was looking for, finally settling on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. She'd have to deal with the undergarments he picked out (he knew from years of hanging out with her that they weren't her favorites, which is why she left them at the farmhouse). When he turned to her, he sighed. She looked pale and scared; her features were sunken in. He walked over, touching a hand to her shoulder. Her eyes slowly met his and he smiled. He held up the clothes and she nodded ever-so-slightly. He was easily able to slip them on. It didn't quite bother him as much anymore. When they'd first gotten there, he was hesitant. And it wasn't like she could've given him permission. It took her weeks to even wake up. Mikey was sure she was embarrassed still, so he did what he could to make her comfortable. She sucked in a breath as he began to take the old stitches out, and he winced. April stared distractedly at the ceiling for most of it. Even as he pierced the needle through her skin. As he finished the last stitch, she tried to move.

"No. Wait. I have to dress it."

She sighed.

"He's been in my dreams," she said suddenly. He looked up at her.

"Mine too," he replied. He put the patch over her newly stitched wounds, and slowly helped her into a sitting position. As her head popped through her shirt he spoke up. "How 'bout some tea?"

She nodded.

He effortlessly held her weight against him as they made their way downstairs. He sat her in a chair and reached for the kettle. "Mikey… do you remember the story about the twins? The one Splinter used to tell us?"

"You mean the one where they were in battle together and got separated?"

"Yes!" she said a little too excitedly.

"Um, yeah… why?"

"I just- I can't remember it…"

"So these twin brothers were two of the most fierce warriors in Japan. No one could defeat them. Literally, anyone. People came from all over the country, and they all lost. Well, this _huge_ army comes in, posing a threat to not just their village, but the whole continent. The two fought together, but after an explosion, and a landslide, they got separated. For days, neither of them knew where the other was; but they both knew the other was alive. They just knew." The kettle began to whistle, and he took it off the stove, pouring them each a cup. He set the tea bag in hers and put a bit of honey in it.

"One brother, while fighting, felt a mysterious pain in his leg, and something told him it was his brother. Years before, the same thing had happened when they were kids; he had fallen and broken an arm, which his brother felt. And he was right. His leg had been badly wounded in battle and he was fighting off an infection. So the uninjured brother sat down in the middle of the fight and began to meditate. No harm came to him- not even a scratch -and he searched for his brother. Finally, after almost an entire day with no food or water, a vision flashed before him; his brother was barely alive, hiding in the back of an abandoned medical center. He grabbed a couple soldiers and they journeyed to find him. When his brother asked how he could've located him, he replied 'Our connection goes beyond-"

He was cut off by her mug crashing against the linoleum. He jumped, looking at her and seeing tears in her eyes. Her hands were shaking.

"Oh my god," she whispered. "They're _alive_."

 _Hey guys! Sorry it took so long. I was really struggling with this chapter. I didn't want to make anything confusing- or obvious lol. Thanks for reading! Any comments/suggestions welcome!_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine:

Leonardo sucked in a lungful of familiar air as he rounded the corner.

Part of him didn't really know why he was there; the other, curious enough to overwhelm his need to run away and never look back. It was damp and unseasonably cold, but he trudged on. After about a mile, he stopped, his feet taking him through the winding path even as his brain yearned for the comfort of turning back.

And there it was.

He nearly fell over as his head swam with guilt.

Their home, all rubble, still faintly smelled of the scents their father used. He walked through the wreckage, feeling his stomach sink lower with every recollection. There, sat the television they'd watched endless Space Heroes marathons; there, was the dojo, that they'd used for hours every day. Where their father instilled in them the bushido code that he'll keep close to him for the rest of his life. The place was surrounded by caution tape and orange cones. It suddenly occurred to him, as he stood in what used to be their kitchen, that someone had been there. Likely police or sewer workers. _Someone_ must have heard, seen, or been affected by it. Inspecting further, he saw that there were lines of sewage in what looked like tire tracks. _Why would they have vehicles down h_ -

He stopped cold in his tracks, bile rising up in his throat.

Leonardo turned back, pulling back as much cement that he could, his lungs beginning to close up. _No, no, no, no, no_ , he thought. _No!_ Despite the rocks busting his skin open, he didn't stop. Tears and sweat blurred his vision as he tirelessly tossed the remnants of their home aside. A noise coming from down the east tunnel snapped him out of his panic, and he listened closely, trying to slow his breathing. It was… men? The turtle snuck into the shadows as the voices got closer.

"The scans indicated that there were more. You found none?"

"No, sir. Just the two."

 _No._

"Hmm… What about-"

"Sir, we did all that we could. There were no other traces of mutant DNA. Or any other bodies."

Leonardo nearly vomited.

"Well, lucky for us, we have our labs for that…" His heart skipped a beat. He fought the urge to jump out at them, pin them down, force them to give him answers. But what good would that do? They'd just take him too. "The people above mustn't know about this. No one can, got it? I have strict orders to keep matters like this confidential. The EPF is already in enough shit with the Kraang invasion."

"Yes, sir."

"Now let's get back. I have some tests to run."

The footsteps slowly faded away as he sat there, breathless.

 _No_ , he repeated.

 _I know, I know. Two chapters in one day?! But this one's a shortie... don't fret! I have a plan! Any comments/suggestions are welcome!_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten:

There was a voice.

It sounded like her voice.

It whispered his name.

Flashes of fire. The sound of gas hissing from a pipe.

Screaming. So much screaming.

It felt like weeks.

Pain. Everywhere.

Pain.

 _Everywhere_.

Then numbness.

Darkness.

Then… nothing.

Donatello's mind finally began to stir with the sounds of scraping metal. It felt like ages since he'd even thought. He almost forgot how. There were low mutterings here and there, a faint sound of screaming in the distance. It was cold enough to warrant a shiver- which he couldn't quite manage to do. It smelled faintly of lemon cleaning solution and bleach. _Wake up_ , he told himself. _That's all you have to do. Open your damn eyes!_ As his eyelids began to struggle to open, the pain set in. A dull throb at the back of his head; there was a sharp pain in his side with every inhale. _Not good_ , he thought. Suddenly, a voice could be heard. It sounded muffled.

"You piece of _shit_! Leave him out of this!"

Before there was another protest, the whips of a leather coat filled the air, before the sound of knuckles against skin.

"Quiet, _freak_! It seems that your pal here is starting to wake up…"

His eyes finally cooperated with his brain and opened, only to be nearly blinded by a bright light. When his vision adjusted, he realized he was strapped against a table, in a standing position. Across from him was-

"Raph!" He gasped, his voice hoarse. The act made him cough, and his side ache. He hissed, drooping against the table.

"'Raph', eh?" a man asked. As he looked closer, he saw his brother's body riddled with cuts and bruises. "Short for…?"

When he didn't answer, the man moved his arm so swiftly, Don barely noticed the blade in his hand slicing the flesh of his brother's arm.

"R-Raphael! Short for Raphael!" He shouted, glancing guiltily at the turtle in red.

" _Damnitt_!" his brother yelled.

"I said _quiet_! Let this nice cooperative… _thing_ talk."

Another scream could be heard somewhere outside, and the three of their heads all whipped toward the sound. The man turned swiftly away, pulling out a walkie-talkie.

"Someone _please_ shut up that goddamned monkey! Are _none_ of you competent enough to complete this _one_ simple task?!" A couple voices scratched in.

"Yes, sir."

"Right away. Sir."

He took a deep breath before turning back to the turtles. He stepped closer, leaning into the light, allowing Don to get a better look at him. He sported all black- even black shades that he adjusted to get a look at the turtle in purple.

"Tell me… What is _your_ name?"

He glanced worriedly in his brother's direction, barely noticing him shake his head.

"Your _name_ , monster!" he shouted, pulling out a knife and tucking it beneath Don's chin.

"Donatello!" he blurted. The guy retreated, clearing his throat.

"So, Donatello… You and your friend here were found in the sewer… In pretty bad shape, I might add… My men and I saved you- there seemed to be some sort of explosion. And although we'd been keeping tabs on the area above, your friend tells me that it was just you two." Don locked eyes with Raph, seeing the desperation on his face. "However, my scans indicate that there were more of you…"

"H-He's right. It's just us."

The man was in his face suddenly, dark shadows clouding his features.

"Don't lie to me. I don't take well to being lied to. You don't want to see what happens to your buddy Raphael here if you're lying."

"I swear. Just, uh… just us."

He growled, jabbing his elbow into Raphael's forearm, snapping the bone with the blow. He howled, straining against his bonds and Donatello winced. When he looked back, Raph shook his head.

"You see, _freak_ , I've been watching the area for a _long_ time. And all my information indicated there were _four_ of you. Which, in case math escapes you, leaves _two others_." Donatello fought the urge to spit in the guy's eye. "All the police reports, all the civilian reports, even _Murakami_ said there were _four_. So _DAMNITT TELL ME WHERE THEY ARE_!" the guy shouted, so angry that spit flew from his mouth. Don gritted his teeth knowing he wouldn't be able to wipe it from his face. He stayed stoic, silent as an ant to the human ear. In the corner, water dripped slowly onto the floor. He snarled and spun around, turning the light toward a table full of supplies. Except they weren't for cleaning… Don gulped as he grabbed a pair of pliers. Much to his dismay, he walked across the room, wrapped either end around one of Raphael's fingernails and yanked.

"WHERE ARE THEY?!" He screamed, purple-faced, just as Raph passed out. It wasn't long before he opened his eyes again, and he tried not to look at his hand. The man placed the pliers around another nail.

"FINE! Fine!"

"Don, _no!_ -"

"There _were_ more of us, alright?! But the explosion… we… we lost them. Th-they're all gone." He tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

"Then explain to me how we didn't find them too?"

"It was before the explosion. An enemy of ours… he-"

With seemingly no warning, the man's fist collided with Donatello's right cheekbone, the force causing it to snap.

"I _SAID_ DO NOT _LIE_ TO ME!"

Donatello fought for his consciousness, blinking away tears.

"I'm _not lying_. They're _gone_!"

He took a deep breath again, pacing before the brothers. Don glanced over at Raph, who's bloodshot eyes rolled lazily, watching whoever it was move back and forth. He felt his eyes begin to droop when the man shook him awake.

"And the humans-"

"Gone," he blurted, his jaw clenching to hide the lump in his throat. The man stopped and turned to him again, a slight smirk on his face.

"You were close with one of them, no?" he asked. Don blinked. "A _girl_ … April, is it? The missing O'Neil girl-"

"April O'Neil? I-I don't even know-"

He was cut off by another blow, to the same spot, making stars dance across his vision.

" _DON'T_ LIE TO ME!" He whipped around, walking across the room to a desk, flipping through a manila folder. "If you didn't know her, how do you explain _this_?!"

Out of the shadow, he produced a photograph. It took a moment for Don's eyes to adjust and he wished they hadn't. Below a pile of rubble, was Kirby, mangled by the explosion and crushed by the cement. His arm lay outstretched on the ground, reaching for the camera- his eyes open, staring lifelessly at him. He fought the urge to be sick.

"The Foot were coming after him, he was a scientist, they wanted his knowledge. He was hurt after the explosion at his apartment complex, and-"

Before he could finish his sentence, he was struck with another blow, immediately causing him to lose consciousness, his head drooping toward the ground.

 _Elsewhere_

"April, what do you mean? I watched-I watched them-"

"Mikey, don't you understand? He came to me! He told me that they needed our help! He wanted me to reach them!"

He blinked, trying to swallow the lump in his throat.

"I don't understand…"

"Donnie came to me! In my dreams. More than once! He wants me to use my powers to find them! When he came to me, he wanted me to remember the story. He wanted me to remember the story so I could _find_ them! He and Raph-"

"Raph's… _alive_?"

Mikey glanced over to the doorway, where Casey leaned against his crutches.

"Case, wait-"

"Yes! They're alive!"

"How? How do you know?"

"We _don't_!" Mikey snapped, beginning to feel himself get overwhelmed with everything, the lump rising, his eyes stinging with tears.

"You don't… believe me?" she asked.

"I don't _know_! I just… I watched them _die_ , April. I w-I watched the lair _explode_. I watched as Donnie was yelling at me to get back and I just… I don't know if I can get my hopes up," he said, running out of the kitchen, and straight out the front door.

April stared at the broken cup on the ground, the tea gone cold. She knew she sounded crazy. She knew that if it was just her subconscious trying to manifest him back into the world, it would break her. It would break Mikey. But she had to _try_. If they were out there somewhere, if they were in danger, she needed to know. But how could she? She was weak, her powers were weak. She knew just as well as anyone that a blast of that caliber didn't have great survival rates. But she also knew that she'd lost almost everything that day. Her father, the love of her life… all at once. And she wasn't even conscious for it. She had to go and get herself hurt. She just _had_ to call him. Put him in danger. But if they'd just taken a bit longer to get down to the lair, maybe… She scoffed at herself. "If"s wouldn't bring back her family. "Maybe"s wouldn't bring back her strength. She bit the inside of her cheek, feeling the overwhelming grief creep it's way into her throat.

Casey cleared his throat and limped over, attempting to crouch beside her. She knelt too, the act causing her stitches to pull, and they cleaned up the mess in silence. She tried to smile up at him, tucking a piece of stray, wet hair behind her ear. He mustered a twitch of the side of his mouth, but she took it. Even the ghost of a smile from him was better than nothing. He grabbed the biggest pieces of china and tossed them into the trash bin while she fished the smallest ones out of the puddle of tea. When they finished, he used his crutches to help himself back up, but they slipped on the still-wet floor, and before she could catch him, he clattered to the ground.

"Oh no! Casey!"

"Fuck," he whispered, punching the linoleum and fighting back tears. He heard her hiss as she bent to help him up and he cursed at himself. April touched his shoulder and he flinched away.

"I got this, Red," he spat. But he didn't. He tried getting up again, and he fell once more, smacking his head against the floor. She sat him against the cupboards, and reached for the rag hanging from the stove. It made her stitches pull again, but she grabbed it anyway. He took it from her hand.

"Thanks," he said.

"It's no problem. What were you gonna do, lie there all day?"

He noticed the two of them panting and he laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"I mean, just look at us. We're out of breath from trying to- Oh my God, April! You're bleeding again!"

"What? Oh. Um. I'm just gonna have to clean it up again… damn stitches…" She stood slowly, using the wall to shuffle toward the door, when she turned. "Ah, fuck I almost forgot. You want some help upstairs?"

"Uh… yeah."

She made her way over to him and after a few minutes, she was able to hook her arm under his and heave him up. He had to admit- she was one strong lady.

"What happened earlier?" He asked. She clenched her jaw, focusing her eyes on the steps.

"I fell. I was trying to fucking _shower_ , and I fell." He saw a tear slide down her cheek and he looked away, taking another step.

"Oh. Uh, I'm sorry."

"I just… he's been in my dreams. The same thing, over and over. And I just woke up in a panic and I wanted to do something for my _self_ -" She heaved him up the last step. "-ya know? I needed to wash it all away, and I couldn't even… Anyway… Sorry." She pushed open the door to his room and they made their way in.

"You're fine. I just… wanted to make sure you were okay. R-Ra-um… _he's_ been in my dreams too. I rarely sleep anymore…" They sat down on his bed and he sighed. "Mikey's got some supplies in here. You want any help with that?" He nodded to her side, where her shirt was stained crimson.

"Um yeah. Actually. There's some spots I can't see toward the side." He grabbed what they needed and he handed it to her. She reached for her shirt and started to tug it off, when she stopped. _Oh well… it's nothing he hasn't seen before_ , she thought, remembering a time she'd been changing in the dojo after training one day before school, and he came bounding in just as she'd hooked her bra together. Thankfully, there was a tree in the way… Her cheeks flaming, she finished taking it off, noticing he'd been staring. "What's that all about, Jones?"

"Huh? Oh. Sorry, I-"

"You're fine. Just help me with this?" She asked, laying down on her back. She took off the gauze and handed him the peroxide and the tweezers. "You don't need to replace 'em, just tighten. We're pretty low on supplies. And I did _just_ get them." He nodded, concentrately cleaning and tightening her stitches. _Wow, I never knew he could be so gentle_ , she thought. _Who would've thought_ …

Casey gulped at the sight of her wound. Images of her lying there, dying, skewered with a pole flashed before his eyes, and he blinked them away. He remembered Donatello ordering him to hold it as he cut. _If it jostles around too much it can hurt her more. We don't have time._ But the thoughts of _him_ brought thoughts of them _all_ , which brought thoughts of- _No. Case, get it together._

He finished wrapping it again, softly taping it closed and laying a hand on her stomach. She sat up hesitantly, feeling how tight the gauze was. His hand fell, next to her thigh. She looked over at him staring again.

"Casey, what's-"

He cut her off, his lips colliding with hers.

His hand expertly slid up her back and turned her toward him, but just as she felt herself sinking into the kiss, she coiled back. She felt her eyes stinging and blinked away tears as she stared at him in mute horror. He leaned forward again, and her brain screamed to run away, but… she stared up into his eyes and felt him pull her and before she knew it, he urgently wrapped his lips around hers again, making her gasp for air. She let her hand slide up his arm, to his neck, as he moved his lips to her neck, in that sweet spot, a tiny moan escaping her mouth and she moved her hand up again, intertwining her fingers in his hair-

"NO!" She said. "This is-no. I can't-"

"Red, wait-"

" _No_! No! No!"

" _Red_!"

"This _can't happen_ , Casey! I thought-I thought-"

"What?! You thought _what_ April?! Don-"

" _Stop it_ -"

"Donnie's _gone_!"

"I said _stop_!" she screamed. The act sent Casey flying into the headboard, shifting the bed to an angle and putting a hole in the wall. The lightbulb in the lamp popped and the window cracked once, up the middle. She gasped, her hands flying over her mouth. Her feet began to take her before her mind registered it, and as she turned to the door, she halted to a sudden stop.

There, with tears in his eyes, was Mikey.

She hated herself for making him look smaller. For making him look like he was that fifteen year old kid she'd met so long ago. She hated that there was genuine fear in his eyes, and she ran past him, into her room.

 _A/N: Okay y'all this took WAY too long I am so sorry! College is stressful, guys. Just like always, comments, suggestions, etc. are welcome!_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven:

Leonardo shucked the clothes on that he'd snagged from the 'Big N' Tall" section of the store he'd snuck into. It was after hours, and he left the money and a note on the counter. _Hoodie, pants, shoes, 2XL. This should cover it._ He'd meticulously planned how to take out each camera and disable the alarm system. Too many times they'd run into problems with systems like that, so Donatello had- he stopped, with half an arm through the sweatshirt. _Donnie_ , he thought, a pang of grief causing his lungs to stop working. He tried to keep his thoughts from replaying. Remembering the fire. Remembering him shouting to them, even in his final moments, trying to warn them of the very danger that would end his life. Trying to save them.

He shook his head, pushing his arm all the way through, and gathering his katana and the rest of what he brought with him, tucking them carefully into the corner of the abandoned apartment building. No one would be there for a long time. It was nearly collapsed, covered in some places with tarps, others in caution tape. Around the back of the building, there was a room still in pretty good shape, and he stayed there during the warm days, patrolling and scavenging for food at night.

He looked at his pocket watch.

It was almost time.

He leapt through the broken building, eventually landing on the roof next door, and took off with the night wind behind him. He came to a halt about six blocks away, in a shadier district of town. The club below bumped with the bass of a rap song Mikey used to play a lot when they were young, and people stumbled out of the door, illuminated by the pink and purple lights from within. He watched as a tall woman with raven colored hair took a drag of a cigarette and offered it to a significantly older man beside her. He gave her a once over hungrily, fishing inside his pocket to produce a few bills. She grabbed his hand and disappeared around the corner. The sign shone bright with the Foot emblem, and he wondered if they knew. If they knew the sleazy guy who owned the place was a murderer. That he took his family. Destroyed their home. He wondered if they knew… And if they did, did they care?

He carefully crept down the side of the building, staying in the shadows. He stayed close to the wall, his eyes narrowing as he looked inside. It was almost two-thirty. It should've closed a half hour ago. He glanced past a woman right by the window, as she bared her breasts to a man who used a finger to flick a silver tassel. He recognized him from the news- he was some big wig politician up for the next election. She giggled and sat slowly on his lap, and he tucked a few bills into the band of her g-string. He could smell vomit somewhere in the alley, mixed with alcohol and cigarettes and sweat. Summer was approaching and the humid heat made the smell of the city all the more pungent. A few more people piled out of the place, and that's when he saw her.

Dark make-up smeared under her amber eyes, and the glitter in her tights caught the light. He watched her, in a small black leotard, her thick thighs holding her weight as she swayed her hips down the pole. The pink streak in her hair fell over her shoulder, and she crouched, gathering money from a few guys who sat beneath her. Leonardo gritted his teeth. He ought to beat their faces in. He hated the way they looked at her. Like she was some piece of meat. Like her sole purpose was to get their dicks hard. He cursed Saki for doing this to her. A thought crossed his mind, and he shook it off, focusing on staying hidden.

 _You could go after them._

Michelangelo's hands were starting to shake.

Leonardo was nowhere to be found.

No note. No traces. He just…

Disappeared.

He knew deep down that he probably needed some time. He could take care of himself. But that wasn't the point. While he was out wherever he was, Mikey was stuck there to take care of everything. Still. He hadn't even said goodbye.

His anger was starting to get the best of him. How could he just run off? They had lost nearly _everything_. The four of them in that house was all they had now. How could he just abandon that? Without even a _warning_?!

He jutted his fist out suddenly, punching a hole in the wall of the barn. Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes as he shakily rubbed his knuckles.

"Fuck," he whispered.

He reached in his pocket and fished out his phone, dialing. It rang only once.

"Michelangelo!"

"Renet."

"I'm so glad to hear from you…"

"I need a favor."

She paused. Of course she knew.

"Mikey, you know I can't-"

" _Please_."

"Revealing the future is forbidden. And you know what changing the past does."

"I can't… You don't understand. I can't _l-live_ without… without…"

He broke down, then, sinking to his knees, heaving with sobs. Grief crashed all around him, making it impossible to breathe. He clutched his arms, dropping the phone, wishing the pain in his chest would go away. The room was spinning, and he coughed, just as someone's arms closed around him.

"I got you," they said. The blood was rushing behind his ears. "I got you."

It seemed like eternity before the place closed and the customers dispersed. All but two. He eyed them as they too hid in the shadow of the alley over. The thought popped into his head again. _You could go after them._ Before long, she came out of the building. She had a bag strung diagonally around her, sweats and tennis shoes on. She popped an earbud in and as he predicted, the two men emerged from the shadows.

"Hey," one of them said. "You."

She paused, wrapping the headphones around the phone, and shoving it in the bag. She started walking when the other spoke up.

"We're talkin' to you."

"What do you _want_?"

"Why don't you come with us? Then we can _show_ you." They got closer, and the taller of the two lifted up his shirt to reveal a handgun tucked into his pants.

"And if I say no?"

"Then we'll have to use this piece we got-"

He was cut off by a swift kick to the head, knocked unconscious immediately. The other man's eyes widened and he started to run, fumbling for the gun. She dipped into the shadows, lurking. Waiting for her chance to strike. Leonardo silently dropped from the fire escape, and grabbed him mid run, shoving him to the ground and pinning his arms behind his back with one hand. The other reached around and grabbed the weapon, which he tossed into a dumpster. He withdrew a knife and pressed it into the man's back.

"Leave now. And I won't sever your spine."

The guy nodded, and Leo released him, watching him run.

"Y-you…!" she shouted, stumbling back into the light. His heart twisted at the hatred in her gaze.

He turned, taking off his hood. She crouched, her skin rippling with scales, and he watched as her eyes turned bright green. Just in time, he dodged her blow, doing a backflip and landing atop a closed dumpster. She hissed and went after him again. He leapt over her, his feet hitting the pavement again.

"You're supposed to be dead!"

"I don't want to fight you, Karai!" She hissed again, and caught him off guard, as a shuriken lodged itself in his arm. He cried out as the warm blood oozed down his arm. Leonardo ran toward her, and crouched, sweeping his legs under hers.

"I said I didn't want to fight! This isn't you and you know it! You're under his control again!"

" _No_!"

"Karai, _please_!" he pleaded. She launched a fist toward him and he dodged her blow. "What he's doing to you isn't right! This-this isn't you!"

"What the fuck would _you_ know, you _freak_?!"

He took a step back, her words cutting him, and gritted his teeth. Suddenly, he pressed a foot against her neck, pinning her to the ground. She struggled, and he only pressed harder. Tears gathered in his eyes.

"Our father is _dead_ , because of him. My brothers-my _family_ … I can't let him do this to us. Not anymore."

"Get _off_ of me!" She croaked, scratching at his leg.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, striking her across the head. She went limp, and he picked her up, slinging her over one shoulder.

 _This is the only way_ , he told himself.

Raphael hated the smell of sterile metal. Since he was a kid. He'd taken great care of his teeth, partly because Splinter was adamant about it, but mostly because he knew that if something _were_ to happen, they didn't have the resources nor the knowledge to properly handle that situation. As they got older, it wasn't just Splinter helping out anymore, it was Donnie too. He _hated_ showing weakness to his brothers. He'd accidentally cut his mouth on a jagged fork, when they were twelve, and got an infection. Of course, there was nothing much they could do, but scrape out the infection and stitch up the wound. _I'm sorry, bro. This is gonna hurt._ , Donnie had said. Needless to say, the whole debacle ended with a black eye and a swollen cheek… And he wasn't the one with the black eye.

He replayed those words in his head as he stared up at the ceiling of the dark cell. His family was out there. Maybe alive. Maybe dead. Maybe held prisoner, too. He wondered if they'd gotten split up. Or if they headed to the farmhouse, as was protocol in the event of an emergency. He shuddered at the memory of Mikey trying to free him from the rubble, and the look on his face… He shuddered at the memory of the horrifying realization that he was going to die, there. Under their ruined lair. The sickening feeling that he would never be able to try that sushi Leo liked. Or get a bear hug from Mikey. The awful, terrible pain. The fear… He wondered what happened to Casey. Was his body still down there? In the sewer? Did he escape? Did his sister know where he was? Did he ever finish that truck he'd been working on? He reluctantly remembered the last time they'd been together…

" _I'm tellin' ya, man… Ain't nothin' like fightin' crime. But this shit? It's almost just as good. Almost," Raph slurred, taking another swig out of a fifth of cheap liquor. He belched, and Casey laughed, leaning to reach for it. He took a drag from a cigarette, and blew the smoke into the bottle as he took a drink. The rest billowed from his nose and mouth as he spoke._

" _You goin' home tonight?"_

" _I probably should. You know how Leo gets. All high n' mighty… Why? You want me to stay?" he asked, cocking a brow ridge. Casey was as red as his mask._

" _Only if you wanna. I mean, it's a safe place to crash. Plus, we remember what happened last time you came home late, drunk off yer ass."_

" _Yeah, that was… Not a sight I wanted to see… April's hot n' all, but… Her n' my_ brother _is just a plain old other story… And on the_ couch _? It's like they_ wanted _to be discovered. I guess that's just his way of coping. Apparently, like, three days before, Mikey caught 'em. He didn't say much, but he might've been more embarrassed than they were. Mikey's been real quiet lately…" He took another gulp and gritted his teeth, his eyes squinting as the alcohol burned his esophagus on the way down. "It's hard to believe sometimes, that he's gone, ya know? Especially with fuckin' Leo and his antics. Splinter'd know how to handle him. Help him. Anyway… yeah, I'll probably crash here. That okay?"_

" _For sure. I gotta be up for work anyway."_

" _You still workin' on that Ford?"_

" _Yeah… I swear I don't know how it ran as long as it did. That company must've had a pretty low budget. And the driver must not have had the commercial license or whatever. It was not taken care of…"_

 _They sat in silence for a bit, just passing back and forth. Raph looked at him and smiled._

" _I'm so glad I beat your ass all those years ago," he said._

 _Casey smiled._

" _For the record, I beat_ your _ass. And… I am too…"_

 _Raphael didn't know if it was the liquor or the tobacco high, or both, or maybe the fact that he'd been thinking about doing it for_ years _, but he took the chance anyway, leaning swiftly in to press his lips to Casey's. He felt him stiffen, then ooze into it a bit, before he suddenly pulled away. He scrambled off the couch, staring at him wide-eyed._

" _Woah."_

 _Raph cleared his throat._

" _Dude… I am so sorry, I-"_

" _You can't just like…_ do _that, bro. What-"_

" _I'm sorry-"_

" _I just… Maybe it_ is _better if you go home tonight."_

 _His stomach dropped._

Just another thing you ruined, Raph. Way to go.

" _Casey, please, I'm so sorry, dude-"_

" _Just go home, alright?"_

 _The turtle in red sighed, clenching his jaw._

" _Yeah… Sure."_

 _He slunk to the window, cursing himself._

" _I really am sorry-"_

" _Just get out, would ya?!" Casey shouted, his chest rising and falling heavily._

 _He shook his head and hopped onto the fire escape, disappearing into the shadows._

He glanced around to see if any guards were crossing. The observant part of his mind reminded him that this was the point at which they switched off. No one would be around for at least five minutes. In a small line he'd cut in his belt strap, he pulled out the crumpled piece of paper and unfolded it. He had no idea how he'd kept it hidden for so long, but he wasn't going to chance leaving it somewhere in the cell for them to find and use as leverage. The top right corner was burnt off, and he saw his leg through a small hole in the bottom. It was the letter Splinter had given him, the day before he passed. He gritted his teeth and read it, almost hearing it in his father's voice.

 _Raphael,_

 _I am so proud of the man you have become. Your perseverance, and courage astound me every day. I know you must be angry. But remember: like a river over stone. You are strong, my son._

Just then, as he began to wonder how their father could make a measly four sentences be so profound and helpful, shuffling could be heard coming down the hall, and he jumped to shove the paper back in it's place. He sat up as the sounds got closer, and watched as two guards dragged Donatello by his arms, his head hanging between his shoulders. His legs scraped the floor behind him. Raph ran over to the bars that separated the two rooms, and started to yank them.

"Donnie!" he shouted. He felt fiercely protective of his brother, always. But especially since finding out he lived. It made it even more clear to him that he wasn't ready to die that fateful day in the sewer. He wasn't ready to leave his family. For so many long, agonizing days, he was alone in that place- in that cell. They tortured him, wanting information that he couldn't give them; he simply didn't know the answers. The longer he spent there, the more he started to believe that he really was the sole survivor. Until Bishop had wheeled his brother into the room. Until he couldn't even hold back tears as he realized that he was no longer alone. Until he realized that Donatello had been there the whole time- and that he would do anything to make sure he never left his sight again.

"Shut it, mutie!" one shouted, pressing a button on his baton and making electricity spark on the end. " I take it you don't wanna be on the receiving end of this, now, do you?!"

"Let him _go_!"

The man reached in abruptly and stuck him in the side with the weapon, causing his body to stiffen and convulse, dropping to the ground as the electricity coursed through him. He felt his teeth clamp down against each other, and his jaw tensed shut. When the pain of the shock stopped, residual aches arose, causing his muscles to tremor and twitch.

The two men laughed, and he watched as they tossed his brother into the cell, his body limp. He cried out, helpless to do anything. He couldn't move. Donatello groaned as he turned on his side, clenching his abdomen. Raphael tried to say something, but the effort was too much. The men left, chuckling, and the breath in his throat hitched as his abs tensed suddenly. With his cheek against the cold pavement, he watched his genius brother's eyes lazily meet his. His abs tensed again, and his brow furrowed in pain. He got a better look at him. His left eye was swollen shut- a small gash colored his forehead dark red, and bruises littered his body. Like leprosy. He held on tightly to his plastron, hissing as he tried to move. They stared for awhile, a silent conversation between the two injured turtles. His genius brother winced as he shifted, producing from his shell, a key card. Raphael's eyes widened. Something in Don's eyes gave him a shred of hope- maybe they would survive this. Maybe.

 _A/N: Sorry it's been so long. I know it's a bit short. The next few will probably be this way as we see the characters' stories develop from all ends._


End file.
